Spring Tasting shines spotlight on best releases for 2022

We bring you the results in full from this year’s Spring Tasting, which rewards the best wines being released onto the market right now.

IT’S ALWAYS fascinating to find out what shines when you taste blind. And the Spring Tasting is especially interesting because the samples are so varied. Indeed, their only uniting factor is timing – these are all wines due for release right now, hence the title of the competition.

In such an environment, where the entries are organised according to price band, and loosely on style too – sparkling, white, rosé, red, along with oaked/unoaked, and dry/sweet – you unearth some real surprises, and the stars of their category are often not what one might expect. Among the delights in 2022 were the whites from Austria and Italy – with some fine single-vineyard Grüner Veltliners impressing for their oily texture, and fresh, gently peppery finish, along with some appealing Arneis, with peach and pear fruit, and a dry, finely phenolic edge. In each case, such wines outclassed more conventional alternatives at the same price.

Among other notable results this year, was a lovely Italian multi-regional red blend made by Alberto Antonini for high-profile chef Gordon Ramsay – called Intenso Rosso – and a lovely, affordable fine Bordeaux from Les Vignobles André Lurton called Divinus. Certain producers performed particularly well too in 2022. In particular, Villa Maria, along with its Esk Valley label, picked up a slew of Golds for wonderful Chardonnays and red Bordeaux blends.

As one judge, Jonathan Pedley MW, commented after the tasting: “Chapeau to Sir George Fistonich and his team for maintaining such high standards over three decades and more.”

Another name that garnered a host of high scores was Bernard Magrez. His Pape Clément 2019 from Pessac-Leognan was outstanding, and so too was his Saint-Émilion – Château Fombrauge – and Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe, called La Destinée de Clément V.

In a world of competitions when so often it’s the rising stars of the New World that shine the brightest, it was pleasing to see classic bottles from Bordeaux and Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe twinkle too.

Please see below for all the medallists from The Spring Tasting 2022:

About the competition

Please visit The Global Masters website for more information about The Spring Tasting, 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