Riesling – The Quiet Achiever by Sharon Wild

RIESLING

The quiet achiever

IN THE PAST RIESLING HAS BEEN UNFAIRLY MISTREATED AND MISUNDERSTOOD. THE FACT IS IT IS A VARIETAL THAT PRODUCES WINES OF EXCEPTIONAL NUANCE AND QUALITY. YOUNG IT CAN BE FRESH, RACY AND ZESTY; WITH AGE, IT CAN REACH ETHEREAL HEIGHTS OF COMPLEXITY AND RICHNESS. JANCIS ROBINSON CALLS IT WINE’S GREAT UNDERDOG AND SAYS: TOP-QUALITY DRY RIESLING IS A TRULY THRILLING DRINK WITH MORE PACE AND VARIATION THAN WHITE BURGUNDY.

Words Sharon Wild

There is no doubt that Riesling had an image problem for a long time. It had a lot to do with the flood of cheap, nasty, wines that were labelled as ‘Riesling’, yet were made from anything but Riesling. It’s also the case that Riesling was touted as the Next Big Thing for an equally long time. And since Chardonnay’s rise to fame from the early 1990s, followed by aromatics such as Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris, Riesling certainly hasn’t been as front-and-centre a name as it used to be. On the surface, therefore, it’s tempting to take a doom and gloom approach towards Riesling and rant that it isn’t fair that this noblest of grapes is underappreciated, misunderstood, alwaysa-bridesmaid and blah, blah blah. Reframe perceptions, however, and the state of play of Rieslings is surprisingly positive.

Label integrity laws instigated a couple of decades ago resulted in a slow but inevitable drying up of the aforementioned ‘Rieslings’ and the perceptions attached to them. Furthermore, given that Riesling is best suited to more marginal climates and terrains, large-scale production isn’t generally viable – thus quality tends to prioritise quantity. Plus, the variety shows its best with minimal winemaking intervention; allowing the time and place speak. Today, Riesling occupies approximately 2 per cent of Australia’s total vineyard area (approximately 3,200 hectares), and those areas are a treasure trove of distinctive and distinguished terroirs all over the country. It, therefore, isn’t appropriate to judge Australian Riesling by volume. Indeed, according to recent IRI Market Edge data, 60per cent of Riesling sales are in the Premium Category ($15+), and this sector has grown by 6.5per cent while sub $15 Riesling sales are declining. While Riesling isn’t exactly a prominent variety – and isn’t promoted much either – it’s more appropriate to judge it as the quiet-achieving noble variety that comfortably occupies a niche, premium market share.

Australia’s capital for Riesling in terms of both production (around 50per cent of Australia’s total) and reputation is South Australia and notably the Clare and Eden Valleys. Long-established, iconic Riesling brands like Leo Buring ‘Leonay’ Riesling (RRP$35) and Jacob’s Creek ‘Steingarten’ Riesling (RRP$40) are both as classy as ever as young wines, and both offer long-term cellaring potential in the best vintages. Hailing from more recent decades, Jeffrey Grosset’s ‘Polish Hill’ Riesling (RRP $60) is rated ‘Exceptional’ in the Langton’s Classification (VII) and his ‘Springvale’ Riesling is classified ‘Excellent’. If you can resist temptation, these Rieslings reward with cellaring.

Jim Barry Wines has built a solid reputation for its Clare Valley Rieslings. The 2020 Halliday Wine Companion awarded it ‘Winery of the Year’. Their ‘Lodge Hill’ vineyard (RRP$25) is one of the highest in the Clare and produces Riesling that’s steely, minerally and extremely elegant. Their flagship ‘Florita’ Riesling (RRP$60), which was established by Leo Buring in 1962 and purchased by the Barry family in 1986, abounds with lime that’s framed by zesty,

citrus acid and it can age very gracefully. From the nearby Eden Valley, Peter Lehmann’s Wigan Eden Valley Riesling (RRP: $35) is sold with age (the current release is 2013) and is much awarded, including six-time winner of ‘Best Riesling in the World’ in the International Wine and Spirit Competition plus over 80 trophies since 2003.

Pewsey Vale in the Eden Valley has a colourful 170-year history, and today the brand is comprised solely of four Rieslings from estate-grown vineyards. Pewsey Vale’s Contours Riesling (approximate RRP $35), for instance hails from old vines on the coldest site and is released after five years. Another producer whose focus is solely on Riesling from single sites (from the Clare and Eden Valleys) is the aptly named Riesling Freak. Founder and winemaker John Hughes crafts ten Rieslings in broad-ranging styles. John Hughes notes: “I personally think Riesling is in a growth stage in the market. Many Sommeliers in Australia champion Riesling, with most wine lists having Rieslings by the pour.”

Riesling is a premier grape in the Canberra district also. Ken Helm of Helm Wines, for instance, has been championing the variety for over four decades and produces four super-classy, low-alcohol examples (a rarity in recent decades). He says of the region: “Canberra’s cool nights, warm to hot, dry days with very high sunlight hours produces Rieslings of intense fruit flavours, fresh acid and without high alcohol levels.” So passionate is he about Riesling that he founded the Canberra International Riesling Challenge (CIRC) 20 years ago. Since its inception, entries have grown from 170 wines, mainly Australian, to over 500 wines from nine countries today; making it the biggest international wine event in the Southern Hemisphere. A winemaking mentee of Ken Helm’s, Carla Rodegiero of Sapling Yard Wines, produces a Canberra Riesling (RRP$28) that’s also low-alcohol, pristine with racy green-apple acid. Amongst its local listings is Canberra wine bar Rizla which specialises in Riesling. Other Rieslings in the Canberra district worth seeking out include Clonakilla, Nick O’Leary, Eden Road and Lark Hill amongst a growing list.

The vast Great Southern region of West Australia produces high quality, impressive Rieslings worth checking out. Forest Hill’ Block 2 Riesling’ (RRP$35) derives from the earliest plantings in Mount Barker (1965), and it’s zesty, racy and concentrated. Howard Park is also a benchmark producer of Riesling in the region. Their Mount Barker Riesling (RRP$35) also shows trademark grapefruit of the region and has a talcy minerality. From the continental influenced, high-altitude sub-region of the Porongorups, elegant Rieslings have emerged from the granite encrusted, ancient landscape, notably from Castle Rock Estate. Castle Rock Estate Riesling (RRP$23), won trophies for ‘Best Great Southern White’ and ‘Riesling’ at the Wine Show of West Australia in 2018. In the Frankland sub-region, much loved, single-vineyard examples are produced by Frankland Estate. Their ‘Poison Hill’ Riesling (RRP$42), with generous white peach fruit and tangy acid, contrasts with their ‘Isolation Ridge Riesling (RRP$42) with its floral and musk notes and fine citrus acid.

Fine Rieslings are produced all over the cool-climate of Tasmania. From near Hobart are the Coal River, Derwent and Huon Valleys and near Launceston are the Tamar Valley and Piper’s River. Riversdale Estate Winery from the Coal River Valley, for instance recently won an impressive eight trophies at the 2019 Royal Hobart Wine Show; four of which went to their Cygnus Riesling 2012. Vigneron Rainer Roberts said at the time of the awards: “The unique terroir of our vineyard allows us to take advantages of the long, slow ripening and retention of natural acidity, which is why we excel in growing cool climate wines like Riesling.” Other southern district producers making stand-out Rieslings include Moorilla Estate and Pooley Vineyards (the latter is Tasmania’s first and only fully accredited Environmentally Certified Sustainable Vineyard). From the northern districts, it’s hard to go past Piper’s Brook Riesling and Tamar Ridge.

In Victoria, a highly accessible Riesling of consistent quality is Mitchelton’s Blackwood Park Riesling (RRP$22) from Nagambie Lakes district, north-east Victoria. Lovely citrus intermingles with saline elements, tempered by clean, sherbet acidity. The winery has been producing this wine for nearly five decades, and it’s Mitchelton’s most awarded wine. To the South West coast in Henty is Crawford River Wines. The vineyard features an unusually complex, mineral-rich soil base and benefits from cool sea breezes from the Southern Ocean. Crawford River Riesling (RRP$45) shows talc and lime characters, mineral complexity on the palate and a stone-fruit finish. It’s classified by Langton’s as ‘Excellent’.

The emphasis of Riesling in Australia today is quality, not quantity. Many of the Rieslings mentioned are age-worthy; some for decades, and yet they retail between $20-65. No other noble variety offers such value for greatness; it will continue to quietly achieve.

I personally think Riesling is in a growth stage in the market. Many sommeliers in Australia champion Riesling, with most wine lists having Rieslings by the pour - John Hughes, the Riesling Freak.