Tag Archives: Riesling

Salomon Wines – April 2015

20/04/2015

A few weeks back, Burt Salomon was in town to showcase his range of wines. What makes Salomon unusual though, is the fact that he makes wines on both sides of the equator. Having established a passion for making wines in the new world, Burt took over the reins at his family’s wine business in Austria a few years back.

The results are that there are quality wines being made under the Salomon label from both Austria (white wine) and Australia (red wine). This blending of new and old techniques has allowed Salomon to experiment with styles, challenging the convention with some of the whites in particular.

Below is a selection of wines that I particularly enjoyed.

Grunner Veltliner

Hochterrassen 2013 (17).

Savoury, almost apricot fruit on the nose. Light and fresh in the mouth, with decent mouth-feel and texture. A neutral wine made for early consumption with food. (Think Pinot Grigio). (RRP $27).

Wieden & Berg Kremstal 2013 (17.5).

A lovley, aromatic example that has apricot and a nutty cashew character. The palate is slightly viscous, and mouth-coating. Long and supple, the zesty lemon-like acidity carries the finish. Good drinking. (RRP $34).

Wachtberg Kremstal DAC & Erste & Lage 2013 (18.5).

This wine is a step up in quality in every way, and worth the modest price premium. There is density to the fruit that is quite remarkable. The power is palpable. The length and texture on the finish are note-worthy. The apricot notes are more muted, with supple citrus and fine, tingling acidity. Superb wine. (RRP $38).

Von Stein Kremestal DAC Reserve 2013 (18.5+).

A brilliant nose that is floral, fragrant and delicate, yet packed with power and intensity. The stonefruit notes continue, but the density and intensity are superb. Worth seeking out. (RRP $64)

Riesling

Undhof Kogl 2012 (18).

Reminiscent of a wine from the Porongorups, with fragrant fruit over a mineral core. Lovely lime-like fruit and excellent acidity on the palate, closing with a refreshing citrus tang. The fruit has a degree of density and viscosity that is attractive. Good line and length. (RRP $38).

Stiener Kogl Kremestal DAC Reserve 2011 (18.5).

The richness to the fruit is disarming. This is dense, viscous, textural and very long. There are lime characters, but with complex minerals and an almost musk-like lift. The finish is off-dry and all the better for it. Superb wine. 18.5 (RRP $59).

Riesling – New Release

Reviewed: 10th September 2013

Pewsey Vale – Riesling – Contours – 2008 (18.5).  Initially, this appears oily, developed, toasty and maturing, though there are no signs of kerosene, yet the fruit is wonderfully dense and rich.  The wine really opens and builds with time in the glass, allowing the fruit to really express itself.  The toasty notes settle back into the wine and there is amazing length.  This became much fresher in the glass, suggesting that further aging would not be out of place.  The next day, this was a stunning drink!

Xabregas – Riesling – X – Figtree – 2011 (18).  Lovely lemon blossom fruit here.  The nose is floral, aromatic, tender, supple, round and balanced.  Yet there is a minerality that runs alongside bright acidity that combines to confer a very long finish.  The touch of residual sugar softens the palate making this an excellent drink now, yet the intensity of the quality fruit suggests that aging is assured.

Grant Burge – Riesling – Thorn – 2012 (17.5+).  Tight, with minerals, floral notes and delicate citrus.  Actually, everything about this wine is delicate.  Precise and very long, this is a youthful wine with real potential.

Koonowla – Riesling – 2013 (17.5+).  Musk, sherbet and lemon blossom on a nose that is pretty and perfumed.  Right now, the citrus-like acidity on the palate is the defining feature.  This will be very good, but it needs a year or two to soften and will live for many more.  From the Clare Valley.

Ferngrove – Riesling – Off Dry – 2012 (17.8).  Spectacular nose that combines lovely citrus fruit with the first signs of development.  The palate is bright and fresh, yet again, shows some oily complexity.  The delicate finish is very long.  This is off dry, but the citrus fruit and acid match the residual sugar perfectly.  Irresistible now, but could also be aged if required.

Angove – Riesling – Long Row – 2013 (17.4).  Lean and fresh, but perfectly balanced.  Long and fine, though just a touch linear and one-dimensional.  A delicate, fine wine that has the potential to age for a few years.  At $12, this is awesome value.

New Release Tasting

Fine Wine Wholesalers

Reviewed 14 October 2011

Matt Holden, the State Manager for Fine Wine Wholesalers popped in to show off some of his new releases. The highlight of which was the fantastic rieslings from Geoff Grosset.

The value wine of the tasting was the Echelon from Kingston Estate. A flagship wine at a bargain price.

Speaking of value, Lamont’s have some Italian wines at great prices. JJ is bringing them in directly and the wines reviewed below are available for $30 per bottle. To get a Barolo for this price is unheard off. To make the deal sweeter, ask for 13 to the dozen!

Reviewed

Grosset – Riesling – Springvale – 2011 (18.5). Lovely nose. This is floral and fragrant, with hints of lemon blossom. Steely characters dominate the palate, but this opens up to show fragrant talc and very fine acid/structure. The lemony fruit goes on and on. A superb wine that just got better and better in the glass. This is all class, but I would like to give it a few years. We drank this with a roast chicken for dinner and it was beautiful.

Grosset – Riesling – Polish Hill – 2011 (18 – 18.5+). Wow. Pristine nose showing fresh lime juice. This has a degree of viscosity and almost a touch of phenolics, but the lovely lime fruit drives the palate forward. Much more approachable than some previous vintages and an excellent drink. This does, however, have superb structure and it will live for a long time.

Grosset – Riesling – Off Dry – 2011 (18). Lovely wine. Floral fruit and vibrant acidity. Really delicious in the mouth – a super wine. A touch oily to close, the length of fruit on the palate is a standout. The slight residual sugar is balanced by well judged acidity. Softer and more approachable than the previous two and my pick for current drinking.

Bird in Hand – Sauvignon Blanc – 2011. (16.8). Gooseberry, lantana and tropical fruit more typical of NZ than of the Adelaide Hills. Clean and fresh with more of the tropical notes on the palate. Smart wine with good persistence. Not overly complex.

Chapel Hill – Blend – Il Vescovo – 2011 (17). More reserved, but more interesting. Nutty, oily, textured and viscous. Savoury wine of some appeal that would suit food well.

Olssens – Pinot Noir – Nipple Hill – 2010 (17.4). More depth and structure here. Smart wine, with cherry and strawberry fruit, with savoury/sappy complexity underneath. Almost chewy, the finish is very good. Not a delicate wine, but one of much appeal. Well made, but straightforward.

Dominique Portet – Shiraz – Heathcote – 2008 (17.3). Dense fruit here. There is ripe plum notes, but no overripe/dead fruit characters. Pepper and spice over silky, supple fruit. Only medium bodied, but long and savoury finish.

Kingston Estate – Shiraz – Echelon – 2008 (18). A touch of menthol and cedar on the nose. The palate has pepper and spice to the max. Long and lean, the tannin structure is spot on. The oak is noticeable, but this will settle down. Fantastic fruit and great value.

Mario Marengo – Nebbiolo D’Alba – Valmaggiore – 2009 (17-5 – 18). They say these wines smell of tar and roses, and this has both. A lovely nose here. The palate is lovely. There are some ripe fruit characters, but the tar and floral notes come through in spades. This is long and savoury, though there is a degree of suppleness that is beguiling. Long and fine, this is a lovely wine.

Tenuta Di Capraia – Chianti Classico DOCG – Reserva 2007 (17.5). More depth to the nose. Hints of aniseed/licorice. The palate is finely structured and beautifully balanced. Excellent mouth feel and structure. Not a big wine, but all the better for it. A touch of savoury, medicinal flavours that add interest. Lively, fresh and well made. Good persistence.

Il Poggione – Brunello Di Montalcino – 2005 (17.9). Very savoury palate. Traditional style that is savoury, mouth-watering and leathery. This is all about texture and mouth-feel, with little in the way of primary fruit. Slightly chewy tannins to close. Long palate that demands aging or food. Long and dense, with deftly handled fruit.

Lamont’s Direct Imports

These wines are spectacular value. Both are available for $30 from Lamont’s. Mention this review and you may even get 13 to the dozen!

Salvapiana – Chianti Ruffino – 2008 (17 – 17.5). Limpid. Mot much on the nose, but the palate is a lovely blend of traditional characters and fresher fruit components. Savoury, medium bodied and medium weight.

Apartin – Barolo – 2006 (17.5 – 18). Lovely savoury aromas, but still with aniseed. Much more subdued and better balanced. Excellent structure and length. An excellent wine that is modern. I would like to see this again in a couple of months once it has settled down.

Riesling and Chardonnay

12 November 2010

Troy Denham, the State Manager for Fours Seasons Fine Wines, was keen to put a couple of wines from their excellent portfolio into our masked tasting to see how they performed. It was with this in mind that we looked at several brackets of riesling, and a bracket of chardonnays. There were a couple of real stars in the tasting, so the wines had their work cut out.

It was no surprise that the Grossett rieslings did well, they are the benchmark for Australian rieslings. That the 2010 wines from Xabregas showed so well was impressive. Importantly, wines like the Leasingham Bin 7 do not show well in these tastings. The firm acidity makes them hard work now but guarantees a 20 year cellaring future.

The highlight of the chardonnay bracket was the contrast between the two wines from Xanadu. The Stevens Road was impressive in all respects. The sheer weight of fruit combined with turbo-charged wine-making inputs makes this a wine that must be noticed. By comparison, the Reserve was superbly balanced, making it a joy to drink!

Finally, Angove has done it again with their Butterfly Ridge which retails for $7. It is a sound wine that drinks well.

Reviewed

Riesling

Grossett – Riesling – Polish Hill – 2010 (18.7). Very citrusy nose. Lemon and lime juice with a touch of curd. A powerful wine, this has spectacular line and length. The length really is incredible and the fruit quality impeccable. The palate is dominated by steely fruit and limey acidity. This is tight and quite austere, but will be a superstar.

Grossett – Riesling – Springvale – 2010 (18.5). This has everything! There is floral fruit laid over minerals and slate. Passionfruit, lime and even a touch of lavender. The palate is fresh and vibrant. The abundant acid is remarkably soft and allows the fruit to flourish. This will live for many years, but is relatively approachable now.

Xabregas – Riesling – X – Spencer Road – 2010 (18.5). Extraordinarily pale and almost with a touch of spritz. Quite Germanic in a kabinet style really, with lovely aromatics. This is extraordinarily fine and delicate, yet there is immense power behind the wine. If there is a hint of sweetness, the acid balances the wine beautifully.

Cherubino – Riesling – The Yard – Pannoo Vineyard – 2010 (18.3). Reserved, with a steely backbone. There is musk, sherbet and lime juice acidity that frames the finish. There is a touch of talc on the back palate. The length is impressive and this just needs time to flourish.

Lucien Albrecht – Riesling – Reserve – 2009 (18). Lovely floral/aromatic nose not dissimilar to gwertztraminer. Really seductive with lime juice and musk, the fruit characters carry through on an impressive finish that is rich and textured.

Howard Park – Riesling – Porongurup – 2010 (17.9). Again, shy. This is high in acid, but it is not aggressive. There is lemony fruit, but it is struggling to make its presence felt. This opens and gets really juicy. Very fine wine.

Xabregas – Riesling – 2010 (17.8) Floral and sweet fruit characters. This is textured, viscous and long. The obvious residual sugar carries the palate and the acid keeps the balance. Drink on a warm afternoon by itself.

Plantaganet – Riesling – 2009 (17.7). Much rounder, even a touch creamy. Again more to the steely side, but with some passionfruit and citrus notes coming through. The finish is very long, with lemony acidity providing the length. Sound wine. Powdery, fine, more modern and greater length.

Xabregas – Riesling – Show Reserve – 2009 (17.5). Minerals to the fore. Steely, with a touch of lanolin. Piercing acidity but balanced. Long and fine finish, but really needs time. 10 yrs+

Howard Park – Riesling – Museum Release – 2006 (17.4). Some developed characters with a touch of toast and just a hint of kerosene, (A good thing). Just starting to hit its drinking window, the developed toasty notes are balanced by fine acidity. Good drinking.

Leasingham – Riesling – Bin 7 – 2009 (17.3+). Lemony fruit, though the acid gets to me at the moment. There is good quality fruit, but it needs many years to emerge from the steely framework.

Boston Bay – Riesling – 2010 (17.1). Restrained, with textured and structural components more obvious now. The palate is fine and well balanced, with lime and mineral components. Falls away on the finish a touch, but a good effort.

Angove – Riesling/Gwertztraminer – Butterfly Ridge – 2010 (16.5). Floral and aromatic, there is musk, lychee and passionfruit. The palate is viscous and textured but the acid helps avoid the finish becoming cloying (just). At $7,this is another screaming bargain.

Talisman – Riesling – 2009 (16). Much more steely and racy, this has good length, though it is not so complex.

Chardonnay

Xanadu – Chardonnay – Reserve – 2009 (18.5). Quite burgundian nose, with almond meal and minerals combined with well judged oak. The palate has lovely fresh acidity and there is a touch of citrus and stonefruit characters to finish. Really subtle oak and well integrated. Texture is very good. The balance of this wine is a highlight and after a day or two sitting open on the tasting bench, this really blossomed.

Xanadu – Chardonnay – Stevens Road – 2009 (18.4). This is BIG! Well made wine, with all wine-makers fingerprints evident. There are creamy textural components on the nose, along with mealy cashew and almond notes and a gentle creaminess. The intensity of the fruit on the palate is outstanding, thought the piercing acidity is a touch dominant now. There is pineapple fruit on the palate and textural wine-maker’s inputs. Great length and a very textured finish, with the barrel ferment, lees and oak components all adding to the finish. This has more of everything and is for lovers of big, (but not blowsy) chardonnay.

Clairault – Chardonnay – Estate – 2008 (17.4). This has some toasty oak notes to open. The palate is long and very closed, with the supple oak dominating the finish. I would like to see this again in 6 months to see where it is going.

Clairault – Chardonnay – 2009 (17.2). Dumb. This is a very minerally wine with textural wine-makers inputs. Reserved and tight, this needs a few years to open up. There is some fresh peachy fruit, but this is just developing.

New Release Cabernet and Riesling

Reviewed – 6 September 2011

One thing that really struck me with this tasting was how tight cabernet sauvignon can be. A tasting of 15 shiraz would deliver a number of aromatic or savoury wines with instant appeal. With this tasting however, I found myself going back to the wines several times over 3 days watching their development. With each passing day, my enjoyment of the wines increased.

With time in the bottle, the fruit became much more accessible and the tannins softer. No doubt, these will cellar well.

The rieslings reviewed were much more approachable, though the best will age for 15 years.

Reviewed

Leasingham – Riesling – Bin 7 – 2010 (18). The nose is floral, with fresh, lemony fruit. There is a touch of pear skin too. Fresh, zingy acid, with steely lime fruit running through the palate. Impressive length and line. A lovely wine that ticks all the boxes. Good now, but better in ten years.

Talisman – Riesling – 2011 (17.2). Gentle floral fruit on the nose. This is very approachable now, but with enough acidity to keep the palate fresh. Good length and intensity, and the fruit really builds in the mouth. The best drinking in this group now, though this will still age well in the medium term.

West Cape Howe – Riesling – 2011 (17). Musk, lime juice and lavender on the nose. The palate is fresh and vibrant, though there is a degree of restraint courtesy of the fresh acid. An enjoyable wine that builds intensity.

d’Arenberg – Riesling – The Stump Jump – 2009 (16.7). Unusually tropical in its outlook, with plenty of passionfruit and citrus. Rounded and approachable, this wine represents very good value.

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Stella Bella – Cabernet Sauvignon – Serie Luminosa – 2008 (18.3). Intense fruit on the nose! Blackcurrant, menthol and a touch of perfume. Perhaps a touch of violets even. Fantastic fruit on the palate. This is virtually seamless and very intense. The quality fruit has absorbed the fine grained oak with ease. The finish is tight courtesy of the oak and silky tannins, so give it air or ten years in the cellar. This is in the cooler spectrum, so it is not everyone’s cup of tea. I loved it!

Ferngrove – Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon – The Stirlings – 2008 (18.2). More fruit intensity here. Lovely palate with cedar, spice and fresh fennel. Long and very intense, this has excellent structure and mouth-feel. Really builds in the mouth, with the shiraz adding some licorice components to the finish. This is an excellent wine that will benefit from at least ten years in the cellar.

Bird in Hand – Cabernet Sauvignon – Nest Egg – 2009 (18). Classically cabernet. Cooler region characters on display, with subtle eucalypt, herb and menthol. Mouth-filling, dense and quite rich, this is an easy wine to like. The length is excellent and the dense, ripe fruit floods the middle palate. Fine oak adds structure. Took days to open up and will last for many years.

Voyager Estate – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – 2007 (18). An angular wine that lacks generosity at first. Mint, mortien, capsicum and tomato leaf on the nose, Very intense, powerful and textured. This really blossomed over a few days. Great wine, just give it time.

West Cape Howe – Cabernet Sauvignon – Book Ends – 2009 (17.6). Seductive. Ripe and succulent fruit that is varietally correct, but more generous than some on display here. Some of the minty notes have been replaced by ripe, almost plumy, fruit. Good length and intensity, in a more approachable style. Enjoyable now or in 8 years. A pretty wine with plenty of appeal.

Chapel Hill – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2009 (17+). Surprisingly cool region fruit notes on the nose, with capsicum and a touch of insecticide. Sour cherry and Satsuma plum flood the palate. Intense and focused, this is a wine of some power and structure. Plum and menthol to close. Not mainstream, but with significant charm.

Forester – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2009 (17). Taut, fine, dense and reserved. This has dense, quality fruit and slick winemaking. It needs 5 years to start to show its best. A souring finish makes this a great choice with food if you are going to drink it now.

Penfolds – Cabernet Sauvignon – Thomas Hyland – 2009 (16.8). More straightforward red fruits on the nose. The palate is forward and ripe, though there is remarkable balance and structure for a wine of this price. Delivers plenty of joy.

d’Arenberg – Cabernet Sauvignon – The High Trellis – 2009 (16.7). Enticing nose that is both restrained, yet displaying lovely ripe plumy fruit. The palate is fruit driven, with some fruit weight. Not the longest, but very approachable. From a warmer region, this has more ripe fruit and less mint/herbal notes as compared to the Western Australian wines here.