Reviewed: 28 October 2012

This was a very instructive tasting. There was no surprise that wines from the likes of Pewsey Vale, Cherubino and O’Leary Walker were of high quality. What was a surprise was just how good the new Millbrook riesling is. This is definitely a winery to watch as they are making some excellent wines right now.

An interesting point to come out of the tasting was that several of the wines were a touch reductive. After even half an hour in the bottle, the wines became progressively brighter and more full of life.

Reviewed

Pewsey Vale – Riesling – Contours – 2007 (18.7). A wine in two parts. This is more golden coloured reflecting time in the bottle, with lovely honeyed development on the nose. The palate is outstanding, with toasty development coming in over lovely citrus fruit. The length is excellent and the intensity of the finish has to be tried to be appreciated. Superb drinking, this is more developed than I would have expected from a wine of this age. With air though, this freshened up remarkably, leaving a wine that, at five years, is only part way through its life. Remarkable!

Cherubino – Riesling – Porongurup – 2012 (18.5). Very pale colour. The wine possesses a restrained nose that is taut and fine, the nervous energy palpable. The palate bursts forth with lime and lemon zest characters, lovely acidity and tremendous depth. Very long and seamless, this is a superb wine that, whilst drinking beautifully now, will get even better over the next 10+ years.

Millbrook – Riesling – 2012 (18.2). Lean and elegant in comparison to some here. This is a very fine wine of some quality. The palate has lemony fruit over minerals and slate. The acid is a highlight and really frames the fruit well. Great length and intensity, the near seamless palate possesses a vibrancy that is addictive. A superb wine from the Great Southern.

Cherubino – Riesling – Great Southern – 2012 (18+). Very pale straw colour. The nose is closed, reserved, tight, fine elegant and restrained. Yet there is life and vitality on the palate, as the acid and fruit is pristine and bright. With an extremely long and fine finish, this will blossom over the next ten years. Even better after a day on the tasting bench.

O’Leary Walker – Riesling – Polish Hill River – 2012 (17.9). Positively alive and leaping from the glass. This has all the characteristics of good riesling, with excellent length and acid on the finish. High quality fruit that has been made bone dry.

Pewsey Vale – Riesling – Prima – 2011 (17.8). The first thing that you notice with this wine is the Germanic level of sweetness. After this, the fine, high quality fruit (grapefruit) and fresh, vibrant acidity cut through making the balance quite superb. The fruit characters are a touch subdued, but this gets added marks for being a great drink. Harvested three weeks earlier than the rest of the vineyard, this has 24 grams of residual sugar and less than 10% alcohol. It will make a superb stand-alone drink on a warm afternoon this summer.

Pewsey Vale – Riesling – 2012 (17.7+). Remarkably tight and fine, with lovely citrus notes on the nose. Minerality, lime and lemon zest acidity flood the palate, with a touch of phenolic richness on the finish. Like several wines in the tasting, this really shone after being open for a few hours. Will evolve and improve and sure to score higher points.

O’Leary Walker – Riesling – Watervale – 2012 (17.5+). A slightly richer style with more upfront fruit and body. When first opened, the phenolics on the finish made this a bit grippy, yet, again, this really improved with air. Good length and texture now with a lovely finish. This will age very well

Duke’s – Riesling – Single Vineyard – 2012 (17.5). Fragrant sherbet and musk over lime brulée. There is a lovely mouth-feel here, with creamy fruit and soft, though fresh and persistent acid. A lovely drink now, but should also evolve for some time. From the Porongorups.