Decanter - Ian D'Agata

Writing for the prestigious Decanter magazine, wine critic Ian D’Agata presents his top 20 Italian white wines – featuring Feldmarschall von Fenner, hailed as one of the world’s finest Müller-Thurgaus with elegance, spiciness and outstanding ageing potential.

"Anyone who thinks that Müller-Thurgau cannot deliver a world-class wine is either a wine snob or just hasn't tasted a good one. Tiefenbrunner's Feldmarschall will show them what they're missing. There's about 500 vines of Kerner peppered in between the 22,000+ vines of Müller-Thurgau, but let's not quibble. The vineyard, planted on the calcareous-clay plateau situated at roughly 1,000 m above sea level, helps explain the wine's laser-like acidity, purity and freshness. Besides one of the world's truly magnificent labels, Feldmarschall offers a plethora of spicy jasmine, sage and white stone fruit notes, complicated by hints of liquid slate, and ages splendidly. About 30% of the total volume ages in large, used oak casks. The 1979 was one of the greatest white wines ever made in Italy."