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14 brilliant white wines for spring 2023

As the days lengthen, and Easter approaches, we bring you the best white wines from our Spring Tasting, which sees 2023’s latest releases judged ‘blind’ by a panel of the trade’s top tasters.

The 2023 competition was judged on 8 February in London

Read on to see the top white wines from The Spring Tasting, and click here to see all the medallists from the competition.

HENNERS, FOXEARLE ENGLISH SPARKLING BRUT, 2016

  • Producer: Henners Vineyard
  • Region: East Sussex
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Vintage: 2016
  • Grape varieties: 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir
  • ABV: 12.5%
  • Approx. retail price: £40

A delicious example of English sparkling wine using predominantly Chardonnay from the first-rate 2016 harvest in East Sussex. Loaded with orchard fruit flavours, from crisp apple to creamy pear, there’s also a note of baked bread, a touch of beeswax, and a fresh, dry, chalky-tasting finish.

SINGING, GRUNER VELTLINER

  • Producer: Laurenz V.
  • Region: Kamptal DAC
  • Country: Austria
  • Vintage: 2021
  • Grape varieties: 100% Grüner Veltliner
  • ABV: 12.5%
  • Residual sugar: 3.7g/l
  • Approx. retail price: £12

This ‘singing’ Gruner Veltliner uses grapes from Kamptal to yield a deliciously fruity but refreshing white wine, with notes of peach and apricot, followed by lemon zest and white pepper, and then a fine, phenolic grip, which brings a pleasantly dry edge to the drop.

BERG UND MEER, RIESLING

  • Producer: Fink und Kotzian
  • Region: Niederosterreich
  • Country: Austria
  • Vintage: 2019
  • Grape varieties: 100% Riesling
  • ABV: 13%
  • Residual sugar: 10.4g/l
  • Approx. retail price: £17

A delicious off-dry Riesling with notes of peach, orange blossom and lime zest, with a smoky, toasty edge, then a touch of elastic band, followed by a persistent, citrus-fresh finish.

PINOT BLANC, Z.T.

  • Producer: Fink und Kotzian OG
  • Region: Niederosterreich
  • Country: Austria
  • Vintage: 2020
  • Grape varieties: 100% Pinot Blanc
  • ABV: 13%
  • Residual sugar: 1.2g/l
  • Closure: Screw Cap
  • Approx. retail price: £15
  • Medal: Gold

A lovely example of Pinot Blanc with its pear and peach characters and fresh, zesty citrusy edge, which is complemented by a note of wet stone in what is a dry, crisp, and complex white wine.

CHARDONNAY, O.T.

  • Producer: Fink und Kotzian OG
  • Region: Niederosterreich
  • Country: Austria
  • Vintage: 2019
  • Grape varieties: 100% Chardonnay
  • ABV: 13.5%
  • Residual sugar: 4.8g/l
  • Closure: Screw Cap
  • Approx. retail price: £25
  • Medal: Gold

A generous, slightly viscous white wine with plenty of melon and peach fruit, and lingering note of charred bread and salt crystals.

KRISPEL SAUVIGNON BLANC, RIED NEUSETZBERG, ALTE REBEN, ERSTE LAGE

  • Producer: Krispel
  • Region: Vulkanland Steiermark DAC
  • Country: Austria
  • Vintage: 2019
  • Grape varieties: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
  • ABV: 13%
  • Residual sugar: 1.7g/l
  • Closure: Cork
  • Approx. retail price: £24.50
  • Medal: Master

A powerful Sauvignon Blanc with passion fruit, pear and fresh limes, along with a creamy character, some smokiness too, and a hint of pea shoot and nettle. layered, fruity and refreshing.

PREIB GRÜNER VELTLINER, RIED BRUNNDOPPEL

  • Producer: Weinkultur Preiß
  • Region: Traisental DAC
  • Country: Austria
  • Vintage: 2021
  • Grape varieties: 100% Grüner Veltliner
  • ABV: 13.5%
  • Residual sugar: 3.2g/l
  • Closure: Screw Cap
  • Approx. retail price: £25
  • Medal: Gold

A first-rate salty, peppery Gruner Veltliner with a core of peach and a zesty lime-flavoured finish.

SCHMID, RIESLING, RIED HAID

  • Producer: Schmid
  • Region: Kamptal DAC
  • Country: Austria
  • Vintage: 2021
  • Grape varieties: 100% Riesling
  • ABV: 13%
  • Residual sugar: 6.5%
  • Closure:Screw Cap
  • Approx. retail price: £25
  • Medal: Gold

A deliciously rich Riesling with flavours of ripe peach and apricot, and a really persistent finish, with lovely, lingering notes of ripe lime, salt and wet stone.

SCHNEEBERGER CHARDONNAY, RIED FLAMBERG

  • Producer: Schneeberger
  • Region: Sudsteiermark DAC
  • Country: Austria
  • Vintage: 2021
  • Grape varieties: 100% Chardonnay
  • ABV: 13.5%
  • Residual sugar: 2.3g/l
  • Closure: Screw Cap
  • Approx. retail price: £17
  • Medal: Gold

Toast and yellow stone fruit dominate this intense, ripe, layered Chardonnay, with a peach-kernel note, and some fine tannin that brings a dry, mouth-watering character to the finish.

WEIXELBAUM GRÜNER VELTLINER, ANNO DAZUMAL

  • Producer: Weixelbaum
  • Region: Osterreich
  • Country: Austria
  • Vintage: 2017
  • Grape varieties: 100% Grüner Veltliner
  • ABV: 13.5%
  • Residual sugar: 3g/l
  • Closure: Cork
  • Approx. retail price: £40
  • Medal: Gold

A fine and generous Grüner Veltliner with notes of rose petals, ripe pear, and white pepper, with a slightly viscous mouthfeel with a bright, spicy, chalky finish.

SEYFRIED SAUVIGNON BLANC, RIED HOHENBERG

  • Producer: Seyfried
  • Region: Vulkanland Steiermark DAC
  • Country: Austria
  • Vintage: 2020
  • Grape varieties: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
  • ABV: 13.5%
  • Residual sugar: 3.3g/l
  • Approx. retail price: £25

Stryian Sauvignon Blanc is intensely flavoured and fine, especially this example from Seyfried, which takes things up a gear with some barrel influence. Mingling with the peach, pear and lime fruits are notes of vanilla and toast, even a touch of freshly struck match, then zesty acidity, before the wine gradually fades, leaving behind some fine tannins to bring a pleasant dryness to the finish.

LA PETTEGOLA

  • Producer: Banfi
  • Region: Tuscany
  • Country: Italy
  • Vintage: 2021/22
  • Grape varieties: 100% Vermentino
  • ABV: 13%
  • Residual sugar: 6.13g/l
  • Approx. retail price: £12

A delicious white wine from Banfi using Vermentino from the Tuscan coast, there’s sweet peach and pink grapefruit, then citrus zest and bitter almond, even a hint of sage. An intense, layered, fruity and refreshing drop.

LETH ROTER VELTLINER, RIED SCHEIBEN, 1ÖTW

  • Producer: Leth
  • Region: Wagram DAC
  • Country: Austria,
  • Vintage: 2021
  • Grape varieties: 100% Roter Veltliner
  • ABV: 13.5%
  • Residual sugar: 2.3g/l
  • Approx. retail price: £25

Peach and pear fruit mixes with fennel, crushed stone, pepper and grapefruit zest in this full-bodied, gently spritzy, powerful and refreshing white wine.

KRISPEL GRAUBURGUNDER, RIED HOCHSTRANDL, ALTE REBEN, GROSSE LAGE

  • Producer: Krispel
  • Region: Vulkanland Steiermark DAC
  • Country: Austria
  • Vintage: 2019
  • Grape varieties: 100% Grauburgunder
  • ABV: 13.5%,
  • Residual sugar: 3.3g/l
  • Approx. retail price: £40

A smoky, toasty white with lemon and peach fruit, then an apple-fresh finish, with an appealing salty edge, that adds persistence to this fine, powerful Pinot Gris.

About the competition

With high-quality judges and a unique sampling process, The Spring Tasting Masters provides a chance for your wines to star. The 2023 competition was judged on 8 February at The Footman, Mayfair, London, employing experienced judges. The top wines were awarded Gold, Silver, or Bronze medals according to their result, and those expressions that stood out as being outstanding received the ultimate accolade – the title of Spring Tasting Master. This report features the medal winners only.

Please visit The Global Wine Masters website for more information, or, to enter future competitions – giving you the chance to feature online and in print – please call: +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com

Read more

All the medal-winning wines from the Spring Tasting

Top 10 red wines for spring

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