 2009 I once described Riesling as “the grape for all seasons” and whilst it has never really had its day in the sun (in terms of popularity) in this country, it has held its price-point better than any other variety. In these days of severe wine discounting, as supermarkets press home full advantage of bulging winery cellars, Riesling holds its head high while those around it fall. Due to its historical lack of fad-like popularity, it has never been overplanted and is produced mostly by clandestine winemakers passionate about the undeniable quality of the most noble of white wines. Every dog has its day! In the glass the wine is as leggy as a new born giraffe and has the green and gold hue of a subdued Aussie batsman. The nose shimmies coyly forward offering the aroma of fresh orange marmalade piled thick on crisp rye toast. A little spicy pear skin and some sweet jubey fruit mingle with earthy notes of Lily of the Valley while a gravelly minerality, reminiscent of Chrissie Hinde’s voice, soothes and overpowers the senses. A little Manuka honey titillates then is swept away by a torrent of iceberg pure acidity once the wine hits the pallet. The freshness cannot be denied and the few grams of residual sugar are hard to spot as a prickly-pear character and the somewhat elliptical fruit juxta for position in the mouth. When swirled around the tongue, these iambic parameters subside to reveal a soft centred orange-chocolate fill which conveys considerable weight and a chewy promise. Washboard abs are polished smooth by Danish oil and a zingy wild-peach flavour guides the wine to a very long and very clean finish, leaving that ready-to-kiss freshness.
2009 It is many years since we produced a Riesling with sugar levels that elevate it well up into the medium class but at 20g/l residual sugar, this one fills the bill. There are many reasons for a winemaker to stop the fermentation early and retain natural sweetness but in this case we were trying to create an instantly appealing, drink-anytime style and also to balance the mouth-wateringly low pH and succulent acidity which the grapes exhibited at harvest. This wine is as fresh as it is exciting and moreish. Peeled lycee and lemon sorbet, like Cleopatra are carried shoulder height and feet first on wafts of velvet skinned nectarine and hot buttered crumpet. Hints of quince paste, Mexican Blood Flower and the long-illegal snifter lolly combine with a nuance of Jamaican white rum to make the anticipation of tasting an almost cruel pleasure. Alive and wriggling in the mouth, the first impression is plump, rounded and somehow reassuringly matronly. As it slides further back however, the keen streaks of acidity trim away the pounds and it struts lithe and youthful like a bare chested defender having just scored the equaliser seconds before full time. Enticing cantaloupe, manuka honey and a tangerine dream impart fluid motion, sanguine texture and deft balance to the palate which shows the smooth shoulders and the deadly sharp edge of a fine ceramic blade. A chalky hint of baking soda in the finish will mellow with time and the legendary aging ability of the variety will result in further fattening and complexity ensuring this wine will provide fascinating drinking for many years to come. Try it with a rich duck liver terrine spread on crusty bread and topped with flat leafed parsley.
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We believe our Riesling is best served at approximately 11 degrees Celsius.
We believe our Riesling is best served at approximately 11 degrees Celsius.
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