AceHighWine

After shooting to global prominence on the back of its Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough has slowly been building up its wine repertoire with pinot noir starting to show much promise. Produced by Marlborough’s Seresin Estate, this is one of the region’s most impressive pinots I’ve tasted in recent times. A blend of hand-picked and hand-sorted fruit from three different Marlborough vineyards, this smells funky and feral like the Mucky Duck Bush Band doing a set of James Brown, Meters and Sly and the Family Stone covers. Couple with more than just a smattering of raspberry and black cherry aromas, this is unmistakably pinot. The palate sees the aforementioned band members red-level the intensity as waves of sour cherry and red fruit latch on to palate with the assistance of fine, astringent tannins: the reverb-soaked finish is long-lasting and cause for rapturous applause. It’s all there and it makes you want to drink more and more - and that’s before you factor the nigh-on laughable asking price. Coupled with an excellent sauvignon blanc, MoMo is a relatively new Marlborough brand value-hunting wine drinkers should keep an eye on, possibly two if you can spare them… 18.5 www.seresin.co.nz

Made from fruit sourced from Central Victorian vineyards and overseen by French and American winemakers, this is an intriguing drop that takes Old World winemaking and puts a New World slant on it. Hints of mango on the bouquet betray the presence of viognier corsing through the shiraz’s veins, as does the gorgeously soft and approachable palate padded out with pockets of peppery, earthy plum. Beautifully succulent from A to B: a most interesting dinner guest. 17. www.terlatochapoutier.com

Please don’t let the slightlty OTT Dutch Tilt in the above photo put you off this wine, this is incredible gerwurtz that is both highly gluggable yet fascinating to drink in the same mouthful. Tasted blind, the wine’s floral and fragrant honeyed apricot aromas were very Moscato-like and tipped off the rest of the senses to prepare for a wine of massive sweetness, but it turned out to be a surprising false alarm as the viscous, perfectly judged green-gold goodness splashed against the mouth. While I’ve jotted down some descriptors such as mango, spice, pineapple and lychees, the bulk of my tasting notes are a pathetic, blithering mass of sycophantic superlatives like “amazing texture”, “gorgeous texture”, “seductively soft” and even “magical”. The wine finishes with an intense burst of flavour and a lingering sense of succulence that bodes poorly for a bottle lasting too long once opened. Phenomenal gerwurtz and along with the excellent ‘04 Vinoptima offering, this has inspired me to try to find some extra dollars in my meagre wine budget to splurge on a little more Kiwi gerwurtz. 18.5 www.wairauriverwines.com

A lovely new release from the house of Taittinger made using only Grand Cru grapes. Lively and fresh, this beauty is powered by lemon and apple flavours complemented by attractive pastry and nut nuances that feel creamy and light in the mouth before finishing with a cleansing and juicy flash of acidity. A great aperitif-style Champagne that ticks all the boxes for bubbles. 17.5+ www.taittinger.com

On Thursday, Pio Boffa from historic Piemonte estate Pio Cesare was in town showing off some of his exceptional wine at Italian eating institute, Maurizio’s. Just a little on the name: “fides” means faith and trust in Latin and was chosen by the Pio family to reflect the act of faith and trust made when they planted Barbera rather than Nebbiolo in the family’s “Colombaro” vineyard near the Ornato Estate in Serralunga d’Alba.

Supple wine, gorgeous and juicy, tastes like a chocolate truffle filled with red berries. Admittedly, there was the faintest sense of hotness on the palate, but considering the richness delivered in the mouth, this dash of heat is easily overlooked. Complex, thick, lipsmackingly long and just a great, great wine. Looking awesome now, but would love to taste again in future, regularly if at all possible. Modern, exciting, beguiling and ultimately, very wallopable. 18. www.arquilla-wine.com/wine/italy/piemonte/pio_cesare/

The weekend gone was spent in Margaret River at Howard Park’s second International Riesling Tasting. After enjoying ourselves thoroughly at last year’s, we were both looking forward to the 2007 edition of the event with much anticipation. And judging by the number of new and younger faces who showed up early’ish Saturday morning at Howard Park’s picturesque Cowaramup cellar door, It looked like word had got around the station about how good the maiden riesling tasting was.

Howard Park owners Jeff and Amy Burch had amassed a collection of 21 exceptional rieslings from across the world with the South Australian contingent - particularly from the Clare Valley - accounting for more than a third of the entries. Wines were tasted double-blind in three brackets of seven with identities unmasked at the end of the final group. Like last year’s tasting, I encountered some challenging wines in the bracket, but as riesling does an excellent and honest job of reflecting its terroir, my (at times hard to decipher) notes are being laid bare for all.

There’s been plenty of talk about how riesling is starting to go through a global revival. If you’re not getting stuck in to the tremendous value and safe-each-way-bet-goodness being offered by the riesling fraternity, now’s the time to be doing so! www.howardparkwines.com.au

Leo Buring DW117 Leonay Riesling 2005 (Eden Valley, South Australia)
Fresh, vibrant with a tangible sense of richness. Nice texture with ripe tropical fruit flavours that shine brightly throughout the finish. Good drinking wine but not showing much complexity. 16.5.

Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Riesling 2005 (Great Southern, Western Australia)
Perfumed with an appealing fragrance of spiced apples and pears. Attractive lime and citrus driven palate with lots of acidity gentle simmering around it. Good, succulent finish. Another beauty from this consistent Frankland River producer and a wine still at the start of its career. 17+

Shaw and Smith Riesling 2005 (Adelaide Hills, South Australia)
Already showing some signs of age. Textured and round with rich and intense riesling flavours. Streak of oiliness across the mid palate. Good length. Cellar door only. 16.5+

Franz Kunstler - Hockheimer Kirchenstuck Kabinett Trocken Riesling 2005 (Rheingau, Germany)
Fresh wine with a dab of sweetness on the palate. The lively acidity still fizzles with purpose and creates a sensation of dryness in the mouth. Great length and finish and a very welcome first shot fired by the German contingent in the tasting. 17.5

Knappstein Ackland Riesling 2005 (Clare Valley, South Australia)
Showing signs of development on the nose and in the mouth with wooly, green bean characters and a rounded texture. Still, the fruit hits hard and straight and doesn’t leave the mouth without a fight as the long, succulent finish seemingly tugs at tastebuds as it drains from the mouth. The first contender from Watervale and unfortunately for all that followed in its wake, a wine that set the bar very high. Would have been a shoe-in for wine of the bracket if not for the German chap wearing the number seven jersey. 18

Fromm La Strada Dry Riesling 2005 (Central Otago, New Zealand)
Looked a bit awkward on the day - there was a pronounced greeness on the palate one mouthful and hints of residual the next. Full of apricot flavour with citrus revealing itselt on the back palate. Good finish. A very different style of riesling to the rest of the pack which was predominantly dry. Thinking about it, Central Otago’s brutal, cold climate (Fromm is based in Marlborough so I suspect they sourced the fruit from the middle of the South Island somewhere)should make it an ideal candidate for riesling, but we only seem to hear about pinot from the region. Perhaps something for me to pursue. 16

Wittman - Morstein Riesling Grosse Gewachs Riesling 2005 (Rheinhessen, Germany)
The product of a big vintage in Germany. Honey on the nose. Juicy, lively wine packed with fresh, forward fruit flavours helped along with gentle acidity. The flavour profiles evolve in the mouth and the wine was the first in the tasting to show real complexity of flavours while retaining its subtlety at the same time. Succulent finish rounds the wine off perfectly. 18.5

F X Pichler - Durnsteiner Hollerin Smaragd Riesling 2005 (Wachau, Austria)
One of two wines that looked bad on the day. Stunk of sulphur. Very intense phenolics - even for a variety like riesling that makes allowance for big acidity - made it very difficult to get into. Linear, tight palate. Shame considering what was on offer when the wine’s identity was revealed. 15.

Wilson Polish Hill Riesling 2005 (Clare Valley, South Australia)
Gentle, textural acidity. Intriguing tropical fruit flavours of mango, nectarine and peach. Good length, subsiding finish. 16.5+

Castle Rock Riesling 2005 (Great Southern, Western Australia)
Another excellent riesling release from this consistent producer from the Porogorups. Tasting softer and more approachable than it did on release, there’s a suggestion of “greeness” to the palate of tropical fruit and lime. Soft, undulating acidity leads to a succulent, long and juicy finish. 17

Leasingham Limited Release Watervale Riesling 2005 (Clare Valley, South Australia)
Closed, tight wine. Perhaps some oxidative aged characters? An almost cheesy edge to the palate detracts. Shame, as the finish was long and succulent. 15

Howard Park Riesling 2005 (Great Southern, Western Australia)
Fresh and vibrant and packed with tropical fruit. The presence of subtle acidity made me think of this as very sophisticated fruit juice for adults (in the nicest possible way). Excellent balance of tartness versus flavour. Typically great, mouthwatering finish. 17.5

Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt - Josephshofer Spatlese Trocken Riesling 2005 (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany)
Lovely fragrant nose of mango and spice. Soft, classy wine structured around beads of gentle acidity framing a dry palate of tropical fruit flavours. Pineapples and mango shine on the long, juicy finish. Impressive as. 18.5

Seppelt Drumborg Riesling 2005 (Henty, Victoria)
Showing signs of development on the nose. That typical Drumborg power has softened considerably, leaving in its wake a mouthful of tart lemon characters that finish dry. Intense citrus-driven wine and a polarising style at this stage of its life. 17.5+

Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling 2005 (Clare Valley, South Australia)
Juicy, powerful, intense, almost tangy, fruit qualities, but the palate finishes with soft, subsiding finish rather than the singe the palate might suggest. Initial impression was “a wine of two extremes”, but with time the palate softened and looked a lot more attractive. 16.5+

Grosset Watervale Riesling 2005 (Clare Valley, South Australia)
Developed, almost toasty aromas. Intense explosion of citrus and attractive floral notes in the mouth. Pristine white peach and nectarine flavours sparkle across the long, juicy finish. 17.5

Robert Weil - Rheingau Riesling Kabinett Trocken Riesling 2005 (Rheingau, Germany)
Gentle fizz on the palate of lemon peel, grapefruit and tangerine - an assortment of intriguing ripe citrus flavours. Excellent balance in the mouth. Good, subsiding length. 17

Forest Hill Block 1 Riesling 2005 (Great Southern, Western Australia)
Some pongy notes on the nose. Very intense, dry, tart palate of equal parts lemon and lime. Very powerful and tangy flavours - almost like sucking on a lemon. Fantastic finish, one of the best if not the best on the lot - shame about the bouquet as this could have been an absolute belter. A very strong advocate for the Great Southern’s potential for producing stunning riesling. 17.5+

Pewsey Vale Contours Riesling 2005 (Eden Valley, South Australia)
Juicy acidity, bright fruit and floral flavours. Didn’t mind this wine but didn’t have much written either. 16.5

Josmeyer Grand Cru Brand Riesling 2005 (Alsace, France)
Juicy, “sweet” characters led by the flavours of pineapple and the rest of the motley tropical fruit gang. Gentle acidity, succulent and long. Great, succulent finish. Another European riesling pearler. 17.5

Pirie Estate Riesling 2005 (Tamar Valley, Tasmania)
Gentle, soft, balanced. Appealing developed citrus flavours. Good length and succulence. Comparable to good riesling from most Australian winemaking regions. Looking forward to seeing more Tasmanian riesling when over there next year. 16.5+

The mailperson (we at AHW always do our best to be PC) delivered this to the office earlier in the day last Friday and in the wake of a f#@$ed (okay, perhaps not so PC) week at work, was promptly whisked to the lettuce crisper of the fridge in the communal kitchen.

Aromas of tropical fruit and a lovely evocative burst of florals. Good fruit weight and richness complemented by jets of subtle acidity. A dash of green bean character adds some complexity to the forward tropical fruit flavours before slowly fading in a dry, long finish with a tasty shot of grassiness to boot. Nice drink and you get a drop with a fair bit of a character for your money. 17/20 mountriley.co.nz

I think it’s a fair comment to make that over the past 18 months, Marlborough sauvignon blanc has lost some of its lustre, paving the way for sauvignon blanc from other regions - particularly cool climate “hotspots” Pemberton (WA) and the Adelaide Hills (SA) - to nab some market share. Apparently people are getting bored with the overt cat’s pee, cut grass and tropical fruit flavours that Marlborough sauvignon blanc boasts plenty of, but I reckon the truth might be a little closer to this: trendies and wine wankers (former ABC crowd perhaps?) appalled that the cat - namely their their once secret squirrel white wine discovery from across the Tasman - has been let out of the bag are now quick to label as passe (”Sauvignon Blanc? That’s SO 2005/2006.” in your snootiest voice possible) the very wine they were enjoying not so long ago.

That’s fine, let ‘em - when the temperature picks up a little and there’s chilled (and not to mention well-priced) bottles and glasses of Marlborough sauvignon blanc available in bottleshop fridges and restaurant wine lists, I’ll be getting stuck in and drinking in the wonders of flavoursome white during the Summer months. The welcome spell of sunshine and warmth over the weekend offered a great excuse for a dress rehearsal prior to summer as Marie and I enjoyed a bottle of ‘06 Madfish Riesling (as good as ever and full of limey stone fruit flavours) with some lunch and the derby on in the background.