Tag Archives: Riesling

Peregrine Riesling 2005

Posted on by
Reply

In addition to some lovely Pinot Noir, one of the delights of my trip to Central Otago earlier this year was tasting the range of delicious, aromatic whites. Although I noted a degree of inconsistency between producers, the region in general seems to produce full, generous Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer that are often notably different in style to those produced in Australia. In particular, producers in Central Otago seem more inclined to a range of styles that include varying degrees of residual sugar. Now to the Peregrine, from the 2005 vintage.

Signs of age are already appearing on the wine’s nose, with toast and perhaps even a slight kero edge infiltrating the wine’s otherwise heady honeysuckle-like nose. No shrinking violet, this wine. Despite the generosity, I thought it was initially all over the place and quite disjointed. After about half an hour with it, I wouldn’t say it’s entirely resolved, but it’s much more coherent than it was on opening.

The wine’s entry immediately introduces vivid, somewhat coarse acidity onto the palate, along with intense citrus and apple flavours. The middle palate is quite full and it’s here the wine’s residual sugar starts to influence the flavour profile. It thickens the fruit and introduces a tropical fruit element into the wine, not at all unpleasant. This may sound odd, but this wine has a sweet and sour line running through it that strongly reminds me of some New Zealand Pinot Noir. Flavours persist well through the after palate, winding up in a neat, surprisingly soft finish.

There’s no denying this is a tasty wine with plenty of flavour. I would have preferred a tad more elegance, though, and would happily trade some of this wine’s intensity of flavour for a greater sense of poise and balance. Despite the modest residual sweetness, the wine still comes in at 13.5% alcohol. I don’t have any food to go with this wine right now, but I bet some Asian canapes would be perfect.

Peregrine
Price: $A22
Closure: Stelvin
Tasted: November 2007

Mesh Riesling 2006

Posted on by
1

Second tasting for this wine. The first bottle was a bit disappointing — correct, but somehow generic and uninteresting. I’ve had positive experiences with this wine, the 2002 and 2005 vintages in particular, so I was hoping this bottle would show the wine to greater advantage.

And it did, sort of. The wine’s regionality isn’t in dispute: typically Eden aromas of slate and citrus flowers emerged enthusiastically from the glass soon after pouring. It’s a lovely, pretty nose, perfume-like in its profile and delicacy. The palate didn’t live up to the promise of the nose, at least initially. The entry is tightly focused, leading a mid-palate that at first presented intense but broad, simple fruit flavours that seemed to fight against, and almost overwhelm, the wine’s acid structure. It’s bone dry but the fruit presented as unattractively full, even overripe and slightly oxidised.

After sitting with the wine for an hour or so, though, it has warmed to almost room temperature, and a significant improvement is the result. The palate now presents more complex flavours, with prominent mineral and spice dimensions, that are a true reflection of the wine’s aromas, and that sit better alongside the wine’s quite focussed structure. Flavours persist well through the after palate and ride the bright finish for some time. The lesson being: don’t serve this one too cold.

Despite the improvement, there’s something missing with this wine. Perhaps the flavours are a bit broad for my taste, combined with a structure that is clear but somehow dull. It’s not a bad wine (far from it — were more wines of this quality) but it does lack the “x factor” that I’ve experienced with previous vintages.

Mesh
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: November 2007

Clonakilla Riesling 2007

Posted on by
2

The 2007 Clonakilla Riesling was made from non-Estate fruit, after Clonakilla’s own was lost to frost. Still Canberra region fruit, though.

Expressive nose that shows fruit blossom and juicier fruit aromas, framed by a powdery mineral edge. The entry is lively and delivers flavour quickly onto the middle palate, which is surprisingly dense and juicy, with more citrus, herb and mineral flavours. Acid is abundant and balanced, though is perhaps a little coarse (less so as the wine warms in the glass). A slight phenolic bitterness asserts itself as the wine progresses towards the after palate, building flavour intensity as it goes, and the wine’s finish is long. A small amount of residual sugar boosts body and helps the wine’s attractive and moderately complex flavours to assert themselves.

Part of me wished for the wine to have been made in an even less dry style, as the flavours respond well to the residual sugar that is there, and there’s certainly plenty of acidity to maintain balance. As it is, a lovely wine, enjoyable and well priced.

Clonakilla
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: November 2007