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Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
2023 Riesling Spitzer Federspiel, Weingut Johann Donabaum Wine Republic

2025 Riesling Spitzer Federspiel, Weingut Johann Donabaum

Wachau, Austria

Peach over Stone

Bright, crystalline and wonderfully alive, this cool-climate Wachau Riesling opens with white vineyard peach, fresh apricot and lime zest, followed by elderflower, lemon verbena and a faint lift of raspberry. Smoky flint and wet-stone minerality sit beneath the fruit, bringing a beautifully restrained, mountain-stream freshness to the aromas.

Dry and finely structured, the palate combines juicy stone fruit with vibrant acidity, a gentle phenolic grip and an increasingly saline mineral edge. It has enough texture to feel substantial, but remains light on its feet, precise and exceptionally refreshing. Delicious now for its youthful energy, it will gain further harmony and complexity over the next four to five years.

Pairs with: Steamed trout, grilled Arctic char, seared scallops, prawn tempura, veal schnitzel or salmon sashimi.

“Spitzer” identifies the wine with Spitz and the cooler Spitzer Graben at the western end of the Wachau. Federspiel is Vinea Wachau’s dry, medium-weight style, limited to no more than 12.5% alcohol and valued for balancing depth with freshness. Its name comes from the traditional feathered lure once used to call a falcon back to its handler.

Whats in the bottle
Riesling 100%

Notable Awards
93 points, Falstaff

£26.50 - £26.50
£26.50
£26.50 - £26.50
£26.50
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Johann Donabaum is a fifth-generation winegrower based in the Spitzer Graben, a narrow side valley at the cooler western end of Austria’s Wachau. He took control of the family estate in 1996 at just 20 years old, redirecting its focus from the traditional Heuriger tavern business towards small-production fine wines. Vineyard holdings were expanded, yields were substantially reduced and Donabaum quickly established himself among the Wachau’s most highly regarded growers.

The estate’s vines occupy steep, labour-intensive terraces around Spitz, including important sites such as Offenberg, Setzberg and Spitzer Point. Cool air descending from the Waldviertel meets warmer influences travelling along the Danube, extending the growing season and preserving acidity. The complex geology includes pegmatite gneiss, calc-silicate gneiss, schist and marble, creating Riesling and Grüner Veltliner with pronounced mineral definition.

Donabaum farms sustainably and is a member of Vinea Wachau, whose members follow strict rules governing origin, dryness and regional character. Low yields, careful selection and restrained cellar work allow individual sites to remain clearly expressed. Stainless steel preserves freshness in the lighter wines, while selected Smaragd bottlings may also use large, seasoned wooden casks for additional texture.

The 2025 Spitzer Federspiel is made from 100% Riesling grown on steep vineyard terraces throughout the Spitzer Graben. The soils were formed through the weathering of ancient rock and are dominated by pegmatite gneiss and calc-silicate gneiss, contributing to the wine’s firm mineral structure and smoky character.

The grapes received 24 hours of skin contact before fermentation and maturation in stainless steel. This extended contact adds aromatic intensity and a subtle grip to the palate while preserving the purity of the peach, citrus and floral fruit.

The wine remained on its fine lees for three months, gaining texture and balance without any detectable oak influence. It was bottled dry under screwcap and is designed to retain its freshness while developing additional harmony over several years.

Alcohol: 12.5%. Residual sugar: 2.2g/L. Total acidity: 7.8g/L. Vegan. Recommended drinking window: 2026 to 2030.

Wine-Searcher Retailer Awards 2026/27 Gold, Overall List in Cardiff