NobleRottersSydney - Oz riesling 2000 & older

Australian Riesling 2000 vintage or older. Could be a night of petrol-sniffing? As it happened, not so much…

• 1997 Howard Park Riesling Great Southern

  Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Great Southern

  {cork, 12%} Served as a pair with the 98, and certainly showing similarities. The 1997 presents an aged honey & molasses nose, and follows with a wash of developed honeyed fruit and a dash of kerosene on the front palate. Strong acid marries well with a quite rich texture. There’s no staleness yet, but it certainly feels ready to drink now, and in fact the finish is the least impressive aspect, being a little on the short side.

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• 1998 Howard Park Riesling Great Southern

  Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Great Southern

  {cork, 11.5%} The 1998 is in many ways a pale version of its older sibling [97]. The aromatic profile is similar [aged honey & molasses nose], but the bouquet is much more reticent. On the palate there are cooked apple flavours, a soft mouthfeel which the acid just holds up, but the finish does fall away quickly. A lesser wine than the 97 and should be drunk up soon.

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• 1998 Jasper Hill Riesling Georgia's Paddock

  Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Heathcote

  {12%, cork} Quite a deep gold colour – a pattern that would be repeated throughout the night. This does smell well-developed – yes a little petrol, but with a caramel/nougat note as well. Offers a good spread of fruit right across all parts of the palate; this is its strength, as the finish is quite drying and the medium acidity can’t quite stave off the oxidative characters which are trying to make their presence felt. Good wine then, but 10 years will probably see it out.

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• 2000 Leeuwin Estate Riesling Art Series

  Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

  {13.5%, cork} The night’s youngest dry wine is a deep lemon colour, and has muted lime flavours predominating on the palate. The lime fruit comes through on the palate with musk overtones and a lemon note; it’s light-medium in weight, the balance of flavours tending towards the front palate, but no other evidence of the relatively high alcohol. Acidity is fresh, but it doesn’t seem like a wine that’s going to go anywhere exciting down the developmental road…

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• 1997 Penfolds Riesling Reserve Bin Aged Release

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

  {12%, cork} The notorious Clare 97 vintage strikes again. Quite a deep gold colour. Lime with petrol aromas. Dry, low-acid palate, light-medium body. Caramelised fruit flavours on the palate. A low intensity wine, losing freshness and becoming fat. ‘Brown sugar through the middle of the palate’ I heard someone say, but it’s not referring to sweetness! Drink now, along with the rest of the Clare wines from this “classic 20-year vintage”. Huh.

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• 1997 Pipers Brook Vineyard Riesling

  Australia, Tasmania, Pipers River

  {11.5%, cork} Gold verging on amber colour. A flat semi-oxidised apple-core nose which appears to encompass a whiff of botrytis. The palate is rather flat & astringent. Clearly past its best – surprising in light of a very good 91 we drank in March 05. Oddly, ullage level was very good – I didn’t see the cork, but it seems clear this wine is not quite up to scratch for some reason.

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• 1997 Leo Buring Riesling Maturation Reserve Eden Valley

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  {12.5%, cork} The first of a trio of vintages flogged off cheaply by Southcorp around the time of the Rosemount merger, these were never formerly confirmed as stocks earmarked for the ‘Leonay’ label, but since that wine is now a current vintage effort rather than the aged release I think we can draw our own conclusions. Still youthful looking, the nose seems in between; subtle lemon aromas neither in the first flush of youth nor showing much development. There’s plenty of extract packed into the intense medium-bodied palate; medium/high acidity, excellent weight of fruit right to the back of the tongue, yet with a purity and transparency to the whole package that is quite beguiling. Needs another 5 years to develop into something really profound.

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• 1996 Maglieri Riesling Willunga Block

  Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

  {11.5%, cork} Presumably this is McLaren Vale fruit – it’s not completely clear from the label, and I’ve never heard of the individual vineyard in question. It does have what seems like a warm-climate feel to it; the bouquet is honey on toast. Despite that, the palate is dry, still with moderate acidity that manifests itself almost as spritz. There’s more developed lemon fruit to go with the honey flavours; most of the weight lies on the front palate admittedly, but the finish remains at least medium in length, and the wine is characterful enough. Will even hold a few more years, I reckon.

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• 1996 Moorilla Riesling

  Australia, Tasmania

  {cork} Mid-gold in shade, with a candy-apple nose and distinct botrytis notes. A dry palate, but with glace fruit flavours; apricots, marmalade. Actually quite a grippy texture; some astringency is clearly present. It’s persistent and exotic, quite powerful; distinctly medium-weight, with a decent length finish. Any oxidation here is adding to the interest level for the moment – I think there are a few more years left in this one.

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• 1995 Leo Buring Riesling Leonay Eden Valley

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  {12.5%, cork} Mid lemon colour. Developing lime aromas – no petrol here. Medium bodied wine, intense, tight – like a coiled spring still. Even balance across palate, but the buttoned-down apple fruit is still subdued and shrouded. Good for another 8-10 years, I reckon. Although hardly ‘closed down’, I think this need much more time to show at its best.

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• 1994 Brown Brothers Riesling

  Australia, Victoria, North East, King Valley

  {13%, cork} A 'Rhine Riesling' according to the label! A developed nose of lemon and toffee and botrytis/late harvest aromas. There is some candy/honey fruit on the off-dry palate, it’s fairly low in acid, yet doesn’t really cloy on the finish. A wine of contradictions – tastes sweet yet in the very end finishes dry, seems pure and simple yet is nearly medium-bodied, might almost be a new-world spätlese style, except for rather high alcohol which really doesn’t become noticeable on the palate. There’s some persistence of finish, although towards the front of the tongue. All that said, it’s drinking pretty well now and won’t benefit from much more cellaring.

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• 1984 Seppelt Riesling

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  {10.5%, cork} A very generous offering from a guest; probably the most famous Australian riesling made since John Vickery’s triumphant achievements of the early 70s. Intended ‘to last 10 years or more’ according to maker Ian McKenzie’s notes on the back label, and last released for sale 6 years ago, this was actually the lightest coloured wine of the night – mid-lemon still shot through with green tinges. Pure apple & honeydew aromas rise from the glass; mature yet youthful. Acidity is not overt, and yet is refreshingly present; the body is really only light-medium, but with a persistent medium-long finish. The wine seems to skip lightly over the palate in an almost Germanic fashion; despite the gently sweet fruit, the finish is dry. A pleasure to taste, and on this evidence a wine with still some years ahead of it (assuming the rather stumpy cork doesn’t let it down…)

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• 1997 Pewsey Vale Vineyard Riesling The Contours Museum Reserve

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  {13%, screwcap} Needs to be given to anyone who reckons wines won’t evolve properly under screwcap. Similar lemon.gold colour to most of the other wines tonight; toasty developed Eden riesling aromas, spritzy apple fruit on the palate with a tiny touch of botrytis/apricot. Quite weighty, yet fresh & clean, with an even palate and medium length finish. In retrospect 97 was better in Eden than Clare, but this must be well into its drinking window and I’d be hesitant about holding it many years more.

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• 2004 Wolf Blass Pinot Gris Botrytis Gold Label

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

  {11.5%, cork, 375ml} No semillon, despite this CT entry. Sweet pears & apricots, and as you’d expect with Wolf Blass, plenty of botrytis. Smoke and quince join the party on the palate, but it’s not oversweet for the generally low acid level to hold things together. A pleasant but undemanding sweetie. Not a keeper.

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