Mesh Riesling 2002

Of all the Rieslings made from grapes of the celebrated 2002 vintage in the Clare and Eden Valleys, this wine holds a special place in my heart. For a start, it was one of the most impressive of these wines on release. Secondly, it provided considerable enjoyment to Chris and I while dining at a (long gone) Indonesian restaurant in Glebe. I’ve had a six pack sitting in the cellar since 2002, and have managed to avoid drinking any until now. Great expectations, indeed.
The colour shows signs of development, with richer golden hues intruding into a pale, straw-like tint. Nose is funky. It’s funky in a roast nuts and honey sort of way, perhaps with some vanilla-like notes, even a hint of petrol. It’s a generous, almost slightly fat aroma profile, and most attractive too, although hardly an “ultra clean” aged style. Think toasted muesli and yoghurt and you’ll get an idea of this wine as it stands right now.Entry is deceptively smooth, as it takes a moment for acid to register on the tongue. Once it does, we see an attractive fullness of body (for Riesling, anyway) with dry, slightly chalky acidity. The acid feels slightly harsh, as if it doesn’t quite belong alongside this wine’s nascent richness. There’s more honey, some toasted oats, a little vanilla and spice.  There’s also more than a hint of dry lime, a hangover from this wine’s fresher days. Flavour drives through the after palate with admirable definition, and the wine’s length is beyond reproach.As much as i’m enjoying this, it’s a striptease performance that never quite reveals what you’d like to see.  Unlike those Rieslings where aged and fresh notes intertwine in scintillating conversation, I suspect this wine needs a more complete expression of age to display satisfying coherence and true character. Having said that, all the ingredients are here — intensity, complexity, structure. It’s a wine of quality for sure. I’ll be eagerly cracking another bottle open in, say, two years’ time. MeshPrice: $A25Closure: StelvinDate tasted: June 2008

2 thoughts on “Mesh Riesling 2002

  1. Good work. Saved me a job and a bottle of 02 Mesh. I’m going to start tasting some of them around 2009-2010. Of the 2002’s I think I have OLW Polish, St Helga, Petaluma and Mesh from this vintage.
    GW

  2. Thanks! Based on this tasting, your drinking window looks ideal. It was fun to try the wine — but also frustrating. Still, lots more enjoyment ahead.

    So many good Rieslings; your selection looks delectable. I too have a couple of bottles of the 2002 Petaluma (I’m mystified at not having bought more, as I do remember enjoying it very much). Along with the Mesh, I retreived from storage some other older Rieslings (2002-2005) that I will taste over the next little while. Grosset, Clonakilla, Drumborg, etc. Even though I’m sure they will mostly be too young for my taste, I’m still curious.

    Tonight, however, I think it’s Pinot Noir time.

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