Vertical Tasting

Reviewed: 1 March 2012

It is a real treat to be able to taste a great wine. To be able to taste more than a dozen vintages is a rare privilege! My good friend John Ranger must be applauded for putting this event on. It took a great deal of organising to get all the wines there on the night.

The tasting could be broken down into a number of stories. The first is the story of cork versus screw cap closure. The 97-99 Polish Hills all had corks and they were all quite developed, with one showing overt oxidative characters. From the 2000 vintage, all wines were sealed with a screw cap and the comparison was startling. Even the 2000 vintage was tinged with green and full of vitality. Yes they were showing signs of development, but this was controlled and predictable. Why would we ever go back to cork with these wines.

Another story was the evolution in style of the wines. It was apparent that the Polish Hill took a step up with the 2002 vintage. Every wine from this point on was exceptional. There was some discussion about what changes may have taken place in the vineyard/winery to account for the dramatic lift in quality.

The Watervale (now called Springvale) lagged the Polish Hill, with the Polish Hill having the “wow” factor. From 2005 though, the same lift in quality could be seen in the Springvale. Indeed, by 2009, it was apparent that this wine should be considered a superstar in its own right. In general., the Springvale had more of the citrus note on the nose and palate as compared to the minerals of the Polish Hill.

Another story could be the lack of overt kerosene aromas on any of the wines. There is some debate whether this is a good character or not on old rieslings, but I for one think the wines are better when it is not present.

Ultimately, the Polish Hill continues to have the edge, possessing an ethereal quality that keeps it at the pinnacle of Australian riesling. As one taster described, it is an exemplar of the style.

Wines Reviewed

Watervale

(Springvale)

Grosset – Riesling – Watervale – 2000 (17.7). Lovely nose with real life and vitality, displaying hints of citrus. Interesting to see that the colour of all wines in this bracket are still tinged with green. Fresh and tight, with tingling acidity, there is an appealing talc-like quality on the finish. Very smart.

Grosset – Riesling – Watervale – 2001 (18). Closed in comparison to the 2000, with more assertive acid and, again, a touch of talc and citrus to close. Very long and fine, this still needs a few years to fully develop.

Grosset – Riesling – Watervale – 2002 (18.2). Tighter and more refined, with fresh lime characters. The palate started off quite austere and closed, but developed in the glass. This is very fine and long and the acid, whilst taut, is very polished.

Grosset – Riesling – Watervale – 2003 (17.8). Delicate and very fine, with superb acid and structure. Falls away on the finish initially, though this builds with time. May need a few years to show its best.

Grosset – Riesling – Watervale – 2004 (18.4). Lovely nose here. This is the best Watervale to date, with superb length and structure. More minerals here and steely acidity. Very youthful and very fresh.

Grosset – Riesling – Watervale – 2005 (18.5). A tight and exhilarating wine, this is spectacular. Amazing intensity and structure here. Minerals and lemony acid to burn.

Grosset – Riesling – Watervale – 2006 (18.5). Very floral and pretty, with lovely lime juice characters and steely acid. Superb structure, but very unrewarding at present. The wines are now entering into that dumb phase making them hard to read. Really opened up when it warmed up. A fine wine.

Grosset – Riesling – Watervale – 2007 (18). Very attractive nose that has more floral notes over lime juice and a slightly nutty edge to the fruit on the finish.

Grosset – Riesling – Watervale – 2008. (18.4). Very austere and tight, but extraordinarily fine and long. This is all potential. Seamless and with superb structure.

Grosset – Riesling – Watervale – 2009. (18.6). Has youthful appeal and real charm. This is a spectacular wine, that has everything in place, yet is totally gorgeous to drink now. The best Watervale today and a spectacular wine.

Grosset – Riesling – Watervale – 2010. (18.5). This is so pretty. Floral and fresh with subtle mineral notes. Bubblegum. This is an evolution of the style. The palate is very tight and a touch zesty. Great length and intensity, yet surprisingly subtle and fine.

Polish Hill

Grosset – Riesling – Polish Hill – 1997 (16.5). Golden, but a touch lighter in colour than the 98 and 99. Honey and hints of flowers on the nose. The palate is drying and quite austere. Good length, but without excitement.

Grosset – Riesling – Polish Hill – 1998. (18). Complex, rich and enticing. Gorgeous nose and palate. Vibrant ripe fruit and fresh acid. Excellent length and mouth-feel.

Grosset – Riesling – Polish Hill – 1999. (18). More toast than honey here. Complete and complex, with texture and richness, with superb length to close. Perhaps a touch advanced, but very complex and long.

Grosset – Riesling – Polish Hill – 2000. (18.3). More mineral here. The palate is fleshy and pulpy, with very fine structure and texture. Superb length, this is very fine and bears no resemblance to the wines under cork. Noticeably different to the 2000 Watervale stylistically.

Grosset – Riesling – Polish Hill – 2001. (18). A touch of flowers and minerals on a warmer, more inviting nose. Very fresh and fine, the structure is, again, superb. More mid palate weight and texture. This has great power and balance.

Grosset – Riesling – Polish Hill – 2002. (18.7). Opens with a touch of mineral oil. Superb wine that is tight and fresh. The acid here is searing, yet very compelling. Minerals to close. A great wine.

Grosset – Riesling – Polish Hill – 2003. (17.7). A touch flabby in comparison and a touch broad. A bit hard to follow on from the 02, this is actually very smart and quite rich, but with out the minerality of 02.

Grosset – Riesling – Polish Hill – 2004. (18.3). Minerals +++. This is very taut and closed, needing ten years to show its best. Another excellent wine.

Grosset – Riesling – Polish Hill – 2005. (18.6). Wow. This is a spectacular wine. So fresh and bright, but there is so much more. Very cool vintage. The mineral notes take precedence over fruit (grapefruit) notes. Very steely to close with a seamless palate of very great length. Grapefruit.

Grosset – Riesling – Polish Hill – 2006. (18.7). Wow. Steely and very tight, this remains extraordinarily fine. Super mouth-feel and excellent texture, this has a great future.

Grosset – Riesling – Polish Hill – 2007 (17.5). A touch more forward and developed, with a hint of oiliness and richness. A nice wine for earlier consumption.

Grosset – Riesling – Polish Hill – 2008. (18.7). More richness and character than the Watervale. Has a degree of intensity that separates it from the ordinary. The wine is also seamless, but has superb structure and amazing intensity.

Grosset – Riesling – Polish Hill – 2009 (19). Complete, seamless and incredibly long! Currently showing fresh lime juice over minerals and superb structure. This is a truly great wine and, quite possibly the best young riesling I have tasted. This wine is actually very accessible and in the very attractive, youthful end of the development spectrum.

Grosset – Riesling – Polish Hill – 2010 (18.5). Another very fine wine and very tight. Minerals, and zesty citrus with pink grapefruit overtones.

Grosset – Riesling – Polish Hill – 2011. (18.7). This is all potential. Spectacular palate again, though the nose is very subdued at present. There are beautiful floral notes and seamless structure. This will be a great wine, though, perhaps in a different style.