Austria 2019

Quite rich and broad on the nose, there’s a lovely herbal element here which keeps it very focussed. There’s plenty of bitter orange and also a pomegranate character, with notes of rose petal alongside. Pure, long, and complex.

Floral and delicate on the nose, there’s notes of lemon sherbet and a hint of tarragon on the palate. There's so much energy: this is mouth tingling and very long. An impressive wine for the price.

Plenty of lime on the nose, with a hint of spice, and sea spray, too. The palate is so vibrant and focussed. Beautiful tension, with a grippy, mouthwatering finish. Stunningly good value.

This needs plenty of swirling, but with air come notes of blood orange, and plenty of creamy minerality. The palate is powerful and intense, with lots of spice and a very savoury, saline finish. Impressive.

Very floral and elegant, there’s a lightness of touch here. Notes of orange blossom and plenty of citrus zest, and just a hint of spearmint on the finish. Vibrant.

Really explosive and intense on the nose, with notes of grapefruit pith, as well as some minty, herbal notes. Very long and focussed, but with impressive weight, this is a stunningly pure expression.

Such a pure, focussed, explosive wine, the 2019 Kellerberg is a future legend. This is so tense and textured, but with such depth and weight to the fruit. A finish that lasts for minutes, and a texture that coats the mouth. Bravo.

A relatively opulent nose, with notes of ripe lemons and Seville oranges, and a hint of candied pineapple. There’s lovely weight on the palate, but with dancing acidity, and plenty of spice. Outstanding length.

Really lovely lemon sherbet character to this, with notes of wild flowers, and just a hint of bitter orange. The finish is very clean and dry, and there’s excellent persistence.

Burgstall is a sunny site, yet the constant prevailing wind ensures that it’s one of the later ripening vineyards here. That leads to an interplay between intense fruit and a cool freshness. This is racy, rich, and delicious.

The Liebenberg vineyard - or “love mountain” - is all planted to Grüner, with vines aged up to 65 years old. Spicy and intense, it’s a wine all about texture and complexity, with spice, herbal notes, and intense fruit all swirling from the glass.

Many of those in the know call Kellerberg one of the Wachau’s greatest vineyards. Here, a large diurnal range ensures wines that are impeccably ripe, but also with racy acidity and stunning definition of fruit. This is a true Grand Cru.

A cooler site, the Steinertal yields to Rieslings of pure elegance and definition, with plenty of white pepper, and fresh white peaches. There’s bracing acidity, and a cleansing, tonic-like finish. A real delight.

M stands for monumental, and this wine is only made in the finest vintages here. It comes from select parcels, and is picked later than the other wines. That makes it a richer, more powerful, more intense expression of Grüner. Tiny production, and not to be missed in 2019.

A blend of Setzberg, Hochrain and Singerriedel, this is a stunning value white. Picked a few weeks before the Smaragd, it’s incredibly pure and delicate on the nose, while there’s density on the palate, and a long, focussed finish. This is elegant, yet explosive.

From the vineyard just behind the winery, this is a true Austrian Grand Cru. So elegant, finessed and expressive on the nose. There’s notes of wet stones and vibrant acidity. This is beguiling, and so, so long. It’s a cerebral wine - one that encourages reflection. But it does so while remaining delicious.

The coolest site at almost 300m of altitude, on gneiss soils, this is so vibrant and energetic. Notes of lime blossom and grapefruit pith, and such a stony, mineral texture. This is long, pure, and incredibly focussed. Such a delight.

A really beautiful nose on the 2019 Gaisberg, that comes from some of the winery’s oldest vineyards. This is sometimes called the baby Heliginstein, due to the similarities in terroir. The palate is so intense and concentrated, but with a lightness of touch about it. Notes of honeysuckle and pure lemon oil last for minutes. Bravo.

From the Gaisberg vineyard, this is from the slope. It is very intense, with plenty of cool acidity: this is so explosive and powerful. There’s a smoky character to the minerality, with a finish that lasts for minutes. Brilliant at this price.

This is from relatively high up the slope, from a well-protected site. There’s a pepperiness here, and a ripe peach character. Lovely acidity and intensity, and a crystalline purity marks this out. There’s a savoury, mouthwatering finish, with just a hint of candied orange peel.

Schreck means fright in German, and takes its name from the watchmen who would scare away potential grape thieves. It’s an incredibly steep site, and in 2019 has crafted a layered, complex, and enduring Riesling. There’s a ripeness to the fruit, with notes of candied pineapple, and exotic spices. Quite a hedonistic wine, glorious in 2019.

A lovely floral element to the nose on this Riesling, with honeysuckle, and even rose petal shining through. There’s a beautiful creaminess to the fruit here: this is so approachable, and so delicious. The finish has notes of white peach, and a vibrancy and energy that’s hard to ignore. Excellent value.

A charming Grüner with plenty of ripeness and intensity to the fruit. Notes of tarragon and white pepper, and a real grip to the palate. There’s an impressive texture here, and a long and mouthwatering finish. This is an outstanding Grüner, and a brilliant introduction to the style.

This is a south-facing vineyard that’s protected from the strongest winds, and the wine results in a really rather opulent expression of Riesling, but one with lovely purity to the fruit. With coaxing come notes of nectarine and peach, as well as a floral element. The palate has nice roundness to it, with a generosity and creaminess, but still the explosive freshness that marks out the 2019s.

From a steep, south-east facing vineyard, located very close to the Danube, this site sees extreme temperatures and lots of wind. More intense and savoury than the Kogl, there’s loads of fresh acidity and lots of grip on the palate. This is very long and saline, with excellent purity to the fruit.

This is a field blend of Grüner Veltliner, Muskateller, Sauvignon Blanc, Frühroter Veltliner, Müller Thurgau, Chardonnay and Neuburger, all from cooler sites, fermented together. Lovely nose of mandarin oranges and creamy citrus. So explosive on the palate, with mouthwatering acidity, and a savoury, saline finish. Delicious and cleansing.