September's Recommendations
We rate our wines out of a 100-points scale.
Our reviews and recommendations are completely independent and we do not have any commercial affiliation with the importers and/or retailers listed.
Please note that prices are correct at the time of our tastings/reviews but are subject to change without us being notified.
A special edition of our Monthly Recommendations focusing on some of the best German and Austrian wines that our gangsters Anthony Rose and Ines Salpico have been busy tasting and rating in Wiesbaden, Vienna and Grafennegg.
Don’t miss their reports with an overview of the wines and vintages!
Dry White
Dr Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten 2018 - 92 pts
Mosel, Germany, Dry White, 13% ABV, screwcap
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Chicken, white fish.
Attractive fresh aromatics with alight, spritz, juicy-textured ripe stone fruit underpinned by a medium intense streak of lemony acidity for an appetisingly dry, mineral finish and fine overall balance.
£36.35 available from Awin Barratt Siegel
Wine of the Month!!
Dönnhoff Felsenberg Felsentürmchen 2018 - 93 pts
Nahe, Germany, Dry White, 13% ABV, cork closure
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Monkfish, prawns, white meats.
After subtly nuanced aromas, there follows an intense, full-flavoured, medium-bodied stone fruit character underpinned by a firm, saline streak of refreshingly dry acidity whose classic mineral finish brings plenty of potential for ageing, as you might hope and expect from this great Nahe producer.
£52 available from Awin Barratt Siegel
Value choice of the Month
Maximin Grünhaus - von Schubert Abstberg 2018 - 93 pts
Mosel, Germany, Dry White, 13% ABV, cork closure
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Grilled lemon sole, ratatouille.
Fine bright fruit, with fresh prickle on the tongue, a leesy note behind complex fruity and savoury notes, a medley of bright stone fruit and savoury elements combined in a sumptuous mouthful of dry Riesling bisected by a steel girder of grapefruity fresh acidity for good potential longevity.
£22.50 available from Justerini & Brooks
Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer 2018 - 93 pts
Mosel, Germany, Dry White, 13% ABV, cork closure
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Paella, Caesar salad.
Fine, intense fresh aromatics, with a light prickle on the tongue and excellent, vivacious citrusy fruit juiciness of texture streaked with a fine blade of mineral acidity for a classic, mouthwateringly dry Mosel style of Riesling with good ageing potential.
£22.50 available from Justerini & Brooks
Schloss Lieser Piesporter Goldtröpchen 2018 - 92 pts
Mosel, Germany, Dry White, 13% ABV, cork closure
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Smoked salmon, mackerel, sardines.
Showing the typical Schloss Lieser aromas combining leesy energy, slate and smokiness, this lovely dry Riesling shows finely textured opulent fruit bisected by a lean streak of zesty, minerally dry acidity with a super elegant-finish.
£23.33 available from Justerini & Brooks
Kühling-Gillot Pettenthal 2018 - 93 pts
Rheinhessen, Germany, Dry White, 13% ABV, cork closure
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Dressed crab.
Intensely aromatic with leesy notes and an appealing richness with tight intensity of concentrated stone fruit flavours underpinned by classic, citrusy acidity and a refreshing mineral finish, whose taut structure promises to unfurl gradually over three to five years.
£36.66 available from Justerini & Brooks
Heymann Löwenstein Stolzenberg 2018 - 93 pts
Mosel, Germany, Dry White, 13% ABV, cork closure
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Roast sea bass, pork belly.
Pale lemon in colour with typically subtle Löwenstein aromas of this slatey terroir nose, there’s a fresh spritz on the tongue, attractive stone fruit ripeness underpinned by lively streak of vivid acidity and mouthwatering mineral dryness in a balanced, expressive framework, with the structure for good potential ageing for 5 – 7 years.
£21 available from Howard Ripley
Schäfer-Fröhlich Felsenberg 2018 - 93 pts
Nahe, Germany, Dry White, 13% ABV, cork closure
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Lobster and other shellfish.
There’s a beguiling smoky, herby, limey character to Schäfer-Fröhlich wines, which comes through strongly on the nose, a light prickle on the tongue, and smoky herby character on the palate that's so distinctively Schäfer-Fröhlich, the flavour of the fruit supporting considerable richness underscored by underlying limey fresh acidity.
£35 available from Howard Ripley
Wittmann Brunnenhäuschen 2018 - 94 pts
Rheinhessen, Germany, Dry White, 13% ABV, cork closure
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Halibut, haddock.
Really good expressive nose, fresh prickle, lively richly concentrated and opulent yet elegant citrusy fruit quality with a fine linear streak of steely acidity and mineral dry finish running through the wine for firm structure and potential for ageing for 7 years +.
£43 available from Howard Ripley
Forstmeister Zilliken Rausch 2018 - 92 pts
Mosel, Germany, Dry White, 13% ABV, cork closure
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Moules mariniéres, oysters.
Fine aromatics and classically lean dry Saar style with plenty of citrus-zesty Riesling fruit appeal, real precision and purity, and a juicy-textured mineral underpinning, finishing elegantly dry, with good potential.
£25 available from Howard Ripley
Weszeli Riesling ‘Loisergerg’ 2017 - 91 pts
Kamptal, Austria, Dry White, 12.5% ABV, screwcap
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Roast chicken, sole meunière, cured goat’s cheese.
A nice concentration of ripe typical Riesling aromas that promise good ageing potential: honeycomb, yellow apple, glazed pineapple, all wrapped around a gentle oiliness and the first hints of petrol-like richness. A great food wine.
£18.60 available from Vinum Online Wine Merchants
Brandl Grüner Veltliner ‘Lamm’ 2018 - 92 pts
Kamptal, Austria, Dry White, 14% ABV, screwcap
100% Grüner Veltliner
Pairs nicely with: Thai curry, ferments.
A punchy Grüner Veltliner with extremely well integrated alcohol, for a warm but not boozy feeling. Very elegant nose with yellow orchard fruits entwined with toasty aromas (toasted nuts, sourdough). The palate is juicy yet structured, showing the backbone that will allow this wine to develop beautifully.
£37.49 available from WineBuyers.com
Wieninger Grüner Veltliner ‘Nussberg’ 2018 - 93 pts
Wien, Austria, Dry White, 14.5% ABV, glass closure
100% Grüner Veltliner
Pairs nicely with: Braised tuna, cured cheeses, smoked eel.
An extremely vibrant and complex wine from an iconic producer and produced with fruit from an equally iconic vineyard overlooking the city of Vienna. Fantastic range of aromas and flavours, from fresh lemon rind and lime zest, to luscious yellow apple, guava, cooked pear and peach. Elegant floral overtones of jasmine and rose water. Good backbone and a long buttery finish.
£27.63 available from Drinks & Co
Schloss Gobelsburg Grüner Veltliner ‘Renner’ 2018 - 92 pts
Kamptal, Austria, Dry White, 13.5% ABV, cork
100% Grüner Veltliner
Pairs nicely with: Oysters, aperitif, seafood platter.
A juicy fresh pour with good balancing savoury backbone. The aromas are surprisingly restrained for the variety (and for the vintage) showing a more mineral expression of Grüner. Gentle flintiness wrapped around squeezed lemon and Granny Smith apple crispiness.
£29.95 available from Haynes Hanson & Clark (vintage 2017 – 2018 not yet available)
Value choice of the Month
Bernhard Ott Fass 4 2018 - 92 pts
Wagram, Austria, Dry White, 13.5% ABV, screwcap
100% Grüner Veltliner
Pairs nicely with: Caesar salad, roasted vegetables, cured trout.
A great expression of Grüner that is at once classical and idiosyncratic. Lovely fruit (with peach, pear) and herbal aromas (sage, fennel) with a peppery finish. Bernard Ott’s wines have a characteristic textural quality and this Fass 4 doesn’t disappoint. A fantastic wine for just a little more than a tenner!
£11.67 available from Justerini & Brooks
Salomon Undhof ‘Alma’ Riesling 2017 - 92 pts
Kremstal, Austria, Dry White, 13% ABV, screwcap
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Beetroot salad, smoked salmon, roast vegetables.
Fermented spontaneously and on the skins in buried clay amphoras, this is a Riesling to enjoy at length savouring its full texture, minerality and layered range of flavours. Underneath a crispy citrus edge there are stone fruit rich notes and hints of spiced, glazed apples. Long grip and persistence making a great wine to have with food.
£22.95 (or £20.75 for a case of 12) available from Lea & Sandeman
Birgit Braunstein Weissburgunder 2017 - 90 pts
Burgenland, Austria, Dry White, 13% ABV, screwcap
100% Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc)
Pairs nicely with: Beetroot salad, smoked salmon, roast vegetables.
Weissburgunder is probably one of Austria’s best kept secrets: the country is producing great expressions of the variety, some with considerable complexity and potential longevity. Here, biodynamic doyenne Birgit Braunstein delivers a great pour, with amazing drinkability yet a surprising solid structure and persistence. The grainy texture lingers on the palate keeping the peach, apple and pear aromas floating over a subtle creaminess.
£12.95 available from The Wine Society
Dry Red
Dorli Muhr Spitzerberg 2017 - 93 pts
Carnuntum, Austria, Dry Red, 13.5% ABV, cork closure
100% Blaufränkisch
Pairs nicely with: Roast chicken, mezze, beef tartare.
Beautifully integrated soft tannins, for a lovely texture that shows Dorli Muhr’s trademark silkiness. Muhr (now helming the estate single-handedly, after taking over Dirk Niepoort’s share) delivers yet another great vintage from old, hand worked Blaufränkisch vineyards of the iconic Spitzerberg site. Aromas of black cherry, blackcurrant, dark plum and a pleasant, vibrant acidity.
£42.50 available from Justerini & Brooks (vintage 2016 – 2017 not yet available)
Wine of the Month!!
Johannes Trapl Reserve 2017 - 94 pts
Carnuntum, Austria, Dry Red, 13% ABV, cork closure
100% Blaufränkisch
Pairs nicely with: Guinea fowl, parmigiana, confit duck.
A beautiful expression of Blaufränkisch, with good ageing potential, but already showing elegant drinkability structured around intense fruit, firm yet supple tannings and vibrant acidity. Aromas of fresh black prune, black cherry and subtle vegetal & herbal notes (think dried thyme and oregano) that are both pleasant now and will develop beautifully. Long finish with a spicy edge.
£20.69 available from The Sipster (vintage 2016 – 2017 not yet available)
Prieler Blaufränkisch Leithaberg 2016 - 91 pts
Burgenland, Austria, Dry Red, 13% ABV, cork closure
100% Blaufränkisch
Pairs nicely with: Ratatouille, onglet, fish stew.
A vibrant red, with firm tannins and lovely acidity. Its crispy edge is balanced by an elegant, developing tertiary character, that is beginning to bring smokiness and umami flavours forward. Black cherry juiciness emerge in perfect harmony with fresh portobello, young pecorino and wet wood.
£30.12 available from Drinks & Co
Markus Altenburger Blaufränkisch ‘Jungenberg’ 2016 - 93 pts
Burgenland, Austria, Dry Red, 13% ABV, cork closure
100% Blaufränkisch
Pairs nicely with: Lamb chops, stuffed zucchini.
A core of black cherry, dark plum and blackberry tightened by poised tannins and great acidity. This is a truly elegant wine that really embodies the Blaufränkisch character within the Jungenberg vineyard slate soul.
For price and availability contact Newcomer Wines