This $16 bold sauvignon blanc is full of fruit and spice

A soft, comforting grüner veltliner from Austria and a strong, spicy sauvignon blanc from New Zealand highlight this week’s wines. We also have an intriguing, unusual red from Italy’s prolific Piccini winery.

Great value

Frenzy Sauvignon Blanc Mount Richmond Estate 2023

Three stars

Marlborough, New Zealand, $16

Classic kiwi savvie - lime, lemongrass and jalapeño pepper spice a core of passion fruit. This wine is not for shy people or introverts. Alcohol by volume: 12.5 percent. BW: 460 grams (Light).

Imported by Wilson Daniels. Distributed locally by Breakthru Beverage Group.

Great value

Piccini Memoro Rosso

Three and one-half stars

Italy, $16

This is an unusual wine - it’s not terroir-driven, as the grapes come from Puglia, Abruzzo, Sicily and Veneto, up and down Italy. And the nonvintage blend of primitivo, montepulciano, nero d’avola and merlot doesn’t fit any traditional convention of how wine should be made. But the combination works, forging a savory, velvety wine that somehow combines fresh and dried fruit flavors into a harmonious union, wrapped in a plush texture that doesn’t want to quit. Bravo. ABV: 14 percent. BW: 630 grams (Heavy).

Imported by Winesellers. Distributed locally by Winebow.

Pfaffl Grüner Veltliner vom Haus 2022

Two and one-half stars

Austria, $19

This was the “house wine” on my recent Austrian Airlines flight to Vienna, and no wonder: It has the white flowers and peppery spice character of grüner, with a round, off-dry finish. ABV: 12.5 percent. BW: 420 grams (Light).

Imported by Palm Bay. Distributed locally by RNDC.

• Prices are approximate. For availability, check Wine.com, Wine-searcher.com and the websites and social media feeds of the wineries, importers, distributors, and your favorite local wine store. You can also ask your local retailer to order wines from the distributors listed. Bottle weight is included, because this is the single most important contributor to wine’s carbon footprint. Have wine questions for Dave McIntyre? Send them to Food@washpost.com.

Legend

One star: Good: The wine delivers what it promises at a fair price. If it says chardonnay, it tastes like chardonnay.

Two stars: Excellent: A wine with character and added interest. May elevate your eyebrows at the first sip.

Three stars: Extraordinary: An exciting wine that stands out from others in its class. Fist-pumping, table-thumping good.

Four stars: Sublime: Otherworldly. May have you thinking, “So this is what they were talking about.”