All the medallists from the db Autumn Tasting 2023

Whether sipping by a fireside or cradling a glass while fireworks burst into showers of sparks, these seasonal wines will see you through to the end of the year, reports Patricia Stefanowicz MW.

The Autumn Tasting is always an exciting time, the start of the run-up to the festive season and a session that reveals ‘what’s hot’ for autumn and winter. It is a chance to taste wines which may not fit into any of our other Global Masters themes and to visit wines that were not available in time for a specific Global Masters judging. In 2023 we found many exciting wines to look out for, and many of the wines judged received Bronze, Silver, Gold and Master medals.

Sparkling wines kickstarted our judging day and were among the most diverse groups, with Golds awarded to fizz ranging from Cava from Cordoniú, English Sparkling Rosé from Candover Brook in England, Château Léoube’s Sparkling White Rolle from Languedoc and Edenvale’s low alcohol (less than 0.5%) Sparkling Shiraz from Australia. Among these were a treasure trove of exceptional wines.

Whites, as expected, showed very well in the competition, with a couple of Sauvignon Blancs from South Africa particularly standing out. It is also true that the white wines from Austria are delicious. In this tasting, the judges were impressed by a Gelbermuskateller (yellow Muscat) from Johannes Pitnauer in Burgenland, and a trio of fantastic wines from Kurt Angerer in Niederösterreich, a Riesling and a brace of Grûner Veltliners, all three aged in older oak adding texture and complexity.

Spain, too, shows that it has some beautiful white wines; Bodegas Montecillo’s pristine and gently oaked, textural Viura from Rioja shows just why we should be paying a little more attention to serious white Spanish wines.

The still rosé expressions we tasted were also exhilarating. Within the £10-£20 price bracket there are plenty of delicious examples, in particular from the south and east of France. At higher prices (£50+), whether unwooded, like Château Léoube’s Collector Rosé, or with some oak ageing, like Château Capitoul’s Rive, the wines show great concentration and provide a little magic when served.

Unoaked Red wines are largely inexpensive at under £10, and the judges found a fair few easy-drinking, crowdpleasing wines in this category. It seems, however, that most red wines benefit from judicious use of ageing in wood. Real excitement among the oaked Red wines starts in the £15-20 bracket, where there are Gold medal winners ranging from Merlot-Cabernet blends and Zweigelt from the Burgenland region of Austria to Sagrantino Montefalco in Umbria. Above £30, the oaked red wines we tasted are fantastic and come from a wide range of areas, including Cachapoal in Chile (VIK), Corbières (Château Vaugelas) and Côtes de Rousillon (Château L’Esparrou) in the south of France, and Castilla y Leon (Legaris).

A couple of stratospherically priced wines (up to £100) gained Master medals and rightly so: Boscarellli’s Vino Nobile di Montepulciano from Tuscany, and Chamilja’s Magnus Bordeaux blend from the Strandja Mountains in Turkey both wowed the panel. We finished the tasting with a trio of Gold medal-winning vintages from Château de Pomard’s Clos Marey-Mange Monopole. A fitting coda to one of the most thrilling days of judging in the drinks business’ calendar.

White Sparkling – Low/No

White Sparkling

Rosé Sparkling – Low/No

Rosé Sparkling

Red Sparkling – Low/No

Still White Unoaked – Low/No

Still White Unoaked

Still White Oaked – Still Low/No

Still White Oaked

Still Rosé Unoaked

Orange Wine

Still Red Unoaked

Still Red Oaked – Low/No

Still Red Oaked

Still Red Oaked continued

Still White – Sweet Wine

About the competition

With high-quality wines and a unique sampling process, The Autumn Tasting provides a chance for your wines to star.

The 2023 competition was judged on 7 September at Ibérica Great Portland Street, 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 Master.

This report features the medal winners only.

Please visit the Global 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