Mitchell Watervale Riesling 2017

Mitchell Watervale Riesling 2017

  08:30    Stu.

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2017 was a mixed vintage, cooler and thus later. Summer rains, warmth and humidity all posed their challenges. A vintage for the assured winemaker, and with something approaching 40 vintages under its belt, the Mitchell Riesling exhibits the hallmarks of the variety and region.


Exuding a classic lime profile, it's more bickford's than Tahitian. There's hints of crisp apple, acidity that cuts a swathe across the palate, and - unusually - there are textural elements, as though the wine has softened a little.

There's a bath salt and mineral undertow that get things racing along too. Zip, zest, verve and swagger. It's got something for all. 92

Tasted on: Friday 16th March
Source: Sample
Price: $25
Alcohol: 13%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: www.mitchellwines.com

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Matriarch & Rogue Dot Riesling 2017

Matriarch & Rogue Dot Riesling 2017

  08:30    Stu.

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Classic Clare Riesling, the ying to Rex's yang. Down the line with lime on the profile.

The palate has more of the explosive citrus, lemon and lime with sherbet giving expression on the palate. More the laser focussed Riesling, a guidewire of acidity off which the classic Watervale flavours hang. 

Length to boot, and some. Great example. 91 

Tasted on: Sunday 4th March, a Root day 
Source: Sample
Price: $25
Alcohol: 10.8%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://matriarchandrogue.com.au/

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Jim Barry Watervale Riesling 2016

Jim Barry Watervale Riesling 2016

  13:20    Stu.

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It's quite amazing that a village with a population of less than 250 gives its name to a sub-region that is simply synonymous with Riesling.

Summer in a glass, of sunshine and freshness. This wine simply packs into its $20 form, a punch of lemon sherbert, orange peel and musky aromatics that simply delight.

Sitting on my back deck on a glorious Spring day in Brisbane, this afforded a vision of my Summer ahead. I could feel the sand between my toes, a little salinity hanging in the air, prawns smashed by the dozen.

You could almost forget about how it smells tastes and simply understand that to chill bottles of this, share with loved ones would leave you in a happy place.

Except I feel the need to convey the intense lemon sherbet flavour that cuts and thrusts, drives and refreshes; there's nashi pear (or papples AKA Pear Apples as they are referred round these parts) with an energetic cary towards the finish. 92

Tasted on: Sunday 2nd October
Source: Retail
Price: $20
Alcohol: 12%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://jimbarry.com/

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O'Leary Walker Watervale Riesling 2016

O'Leary Walker Watervale Riesling 2016

  15:30    Stu.

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The annual release of O'Leary Walker's Watervale and Polish Hill River Rieslings is an event to keep an eye out for. Generally found around the $20-25 mark, representing excellent drinking now and rewarding the patient wine buyer with an ability to age.

Lime, florals, a touch of Talc that then segues  to some tropical fruit. More floral than I recall in previous years. 

Doesn't present the driving, linear acidic spine that I've come to (expect?) see. More a definite citrus driven freshness, bright, and chilled has me yearning for the warmer months. 

Finishes reasonably well. Solid. 90 

Tasted on: Saturday 6th August, a Fruit to Root day
Source: Sample
Price: $25
Alcohol: 11%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://olearywalkerwines.com/

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Grosset Springvale Riesling 2012

Grosset Springvale Riesling 2012

  20:40    Stu.

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Bath salts, kaffir lime, hints of mandarin and blossom - hallmark lemon zing and ting. It had me thinking of Thai cuisine, fresh aromatics - at you.  So fresh.

Generous, open, sharp - acid early on, steely mineral and hints of key lime pie. These flavours race through the palate, carrying a line. Now, unlike previous releases there was more width, more ballgown than pencil-line skirt if i can dabble (likely erroneously) in a ladies fashion analogy.  The line is true, yet also vibrant with a hitherto not normally seen width.

Hints of tropical fruit towards the finish, guava-esque.  Excellent length, a touch soapy at its conclusion.  Fresh, more-ish and likely to give pleasure in the cellar for up to 10 years.  94 - Excellent  

Tasted on: Monday 14th January, a Flower Day
Source: Gift
Price: $37-40 RRP
Alcohol: 12.5%
Closure: Screwcap (of course!)
Website: http://www.grosset.com.au

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Clos Clare Watervale Riesling 2012

Clos Clare Watervale Riesling 2012

  12:52    Stu.

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The Barry boys, Tom and Sam, have excellent familial heritage when it comes to making regarded Clare Valley Riesling.  They've set up shop in the corner of the renowned Florita Vineyard, and there they've crafted this stellar Riesling that I've gone long on as a birth-year wine for a child.

Citrus/ lemon, kaffir lime and bath salts out of the block.  The palate is generous and open with honeysuckle hints, a touch of tropical fruit is on show by way of guava and mango.  

Exquisitely structured, effortless to drink and a pleasure to behold, offers seemingly perpetual length.  Nicely pitched acid rounds the wine out.  93+ - Very Good 

Source: Retail, Grand Central Cellars
Price: $24 (CD Price)
Alcohol:12.6%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://closclare.com.au

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O'Leary Walker Watervale Riesling 2011

O'Leary Walker Watervale Riesling 2011

  13:06    Stu.

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Still yet to taste a dud from the 2011 Vintage.  I can only salute the winemakers so hellbent on quality that they've refused to release them.

To the wine in question: beautiful delicate citrus aromatics: there's hints of lemon sherbet, lemon meringue, lemon cream puff - sold and I haven't even tasted it as yet.  The palate shows more lemon, pithy as an introduction to the wine's mineral laden edge.  There's good palate weight and texture.  It's clean, fresh and the lemon is further supported by a faint nod to some kaffir lime.

On the finish, there's generous length - the fruit pristine - a vein of citrus courses through the wine to it's conclusion.  Wavered between 92/93, opting for the higher as the wine held itself over a few days, providing an indication as to cellaring potential. Very Good - 93

Source: Sample

Price: $20

Alcohol: 12.5%

Closure: Screwcap

Website: http://olearywalkerwines.com/

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2009 Tim Gramp Clare Valley Watervale Riesling

2009 Tim Gramp Clare Valley Watervale Riesling

  06:37    Stu.

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So as the Summer of Riesling draws to an end, this was my own nod to the celebration of The Wine That Everybody Loves, But Nobody Buys.

Aromas of lime sorbet, bath salts, a softer almost honeyed note - in short a Riesling. The palate delivers strong lime flavours, more of that honeyed note - almost a touch creamy - then some steely minerality. The finish is on a good dry length, there's acid but its not overtly acidic.

In summary, it's a good- not a great - Rizza that ticks all the right boxes. It's refreshing, has some interest on the palate and sufficient length to maintain that interest.

Source: Retail, Mayerling Cellars

Price: $8.25 ($99 per doz.)

Closure: Screwcap

Website: http://www.timgrampwines.com.au/home.html

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KT & The Falcon 2009 Peglidis Watervale Riesling

KT & The Falcon 2009 Peglidis Watervale Riesling

  21:28    Stu.

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I really like single vineyard wines, I just feel they have a bit more of a story to tell with the ability to point to a block of vines and a patch and say "this is from where I came".  To that end its a shame when a winery doesn't back up that story with having an up to date website.

The aroma provides hallmark Watervale Riesling fruit: varietal apple and citrus, particularly the familiar lime.  However it is on the palate that the wine shines. Spritz on entry and tongue tingling acidity.  As you allow the wine to float around the mouth there's some familiar slatey minerality.  

This is hard to describe, but do try it and I'm sure you'll understand where I am trying to come from.  Toward the finish, a touch more spritz, good acid and a reappearance of some of the quality fruit shining through.  All up, a very smart dry Riesling.

Source: Retail

Price: $30-$35

Closure: Screwcap

Website: http://www.ktandthefalcon.com.au/index.html

Retailer: Spiros Toowong

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