Serious Sauvignon Without The Price
Every vintage of this wine is a knockout—and 2023 is no exception. Although not yet rated, past vintages have consistently scored 94+ points, and this one is just as compelling. At just $18.98, this is a bottle that dramatically overdelivers—complex, pure, and energetic, and easily among the best Sauvignon Blancs on the market at any price. The concentration here is crazy–this vintage naturally reduced yields to the point that each bottle required fruit from three vines to make.
The estate of Lackner-Tinnacher is steeped in history, with vineyard records dating back to 1778. Today, it is led by Katharina Tinnacher, one of the most thoughtful and dynamic winemakers in Austria. She farms her 27 hectares of steep hillside vineyards organically, embracing the natural rhythm of the land and focusing entirely on estate-grown fruit. The ‘Gamlitz’ cuvée comes from a southwest-facing slope at 430–500 meters in the Welles vineyard, where gravelly soils and a sheltered microclimate foster grapes with ripeness, structure, and laser-focused acidity.
Fermented with native yeasts in both stainless steel and large oak casks, then aged on the lees for four months, the wine is polished, fresh, and textural. Aromas leap from the glass of gooseberry, lime zest, passion fruit, and crushed herbs. On the palate, you’ll find lemongrass, verbena, and papaya carried by zesty acidity and a saline backbone that gives it grip and verve. It’s a wine that manages to be both bright and deeply layered—an elegant, mineral-driven Sauvignon Blanc with impressive staying power.
At under $19, it’s almost impossible to find another Sauvignon Blanc that delivers this level of precision, elegance, and outright charm. Somehow, this gem still flies under the radar—we’ve been saying for years that it’s only a matter of time before the word gets out. Fortunately, the price and availability have held steady for now. But let’s be honest: a wine this good can’t stay a secret forever. Stock up while you still can.
Winemaker Notes
The 2023 vintage requires grapes from two to three vines for one bottle of wine. This concentration brings fantastic depth, structure, and flavor.
Vintages Notes
Overall, the 2023 vintage brought us an unusually small but very fine harvest. After a warm and humid spring, a rainy summer challenged us. The tropical-like weather conditions caused the vines' leaves to grow extremely rapidly, requiring the vineyard team to perform at their best in manual labor. During flowering, heavy rainfall led to reduced yields; heavy rainfall also made the vineyards difficult to access, and landslides and flooding occurred in the region. Only the warm, dry August allowed us to breathe a sigh of relief. Few grapes remained on the vines, but they were of fantastic concentration and flavor. The harvest began on September 11 and lasted until mid-October, and the beautiful autumn weather allowed us to harvest every vineyard at the ideal time.
