TNs: Three top Aussie rieslings inc. legendary 73 Leo Buring

[Baby Chickpea]

<b>1973 Leo Buring DWC17 Eden Valley Riesling</b>
An Aussie legend. Superb level. Cork in excellent shape – some turning to get it out but no crumbling. Mid yellow colour – brilliant clarity. No hint of ageing or brown. Immaculate nose with fresh, zingy lime/lemon aromas. Hint of sweet honey and tropical fruits – apricots and kiwi fruit. Speck of aldehydes (rubber). After one hour, fruit lessens and complex characters take over. Just beautiful. The palate is packed with flavour. Medium-bodied. Beautiful structure and 30 second length. Still fresh, almost tangy and citrus-like with honey, marmalade, lime, passionfruit. A veritable cornucopia of fruit delights. Maintains its acid backbone after two hours as secondary development overlaid the fruit spectrum. Near perfect harmony and balance with a length that just cascades layer upon layer. A great wine in any company and one of the top three Aussie whites I have ever had – a seamless symbiosis of structure, balance, fruit. The previous two bottles I drank were not up to this one’s standard (they displayed kerosene characters that roughshod the wine). Alas, this was my last bottle of this great Aussie wine. Almost indestructible and ageless. <b>Grand Vin! 19.5 / 20</b>

<b>1988 Petaluma Riesling</b>
Another one of my last bottles. Read some debate on the Auswine forum late last year re: poor ageing capabilities of vintages in the 90s so I pulled out my last remaining oldie. Light yellow. Bouquet is powerful with fresh lemons. Palate is freshly cut grapefruit, lemon and lime. Very full-bodied with good acid. Crisp, with excellent length and fruit profile. Much more intense and concentrated than the 73 Buring but lacks its length and balance. Nonetheless, this is irrefutable fine wine. Still largely undeveloped too. The best Petaluma Riesling I have ever had (the 85, 86, and 87 were all over-the-hill when tasted early last year) – it will be interesting to see what becomes of the excellent 2002 in time. <b>Excellent 18.5 / 20</b>

<b>1990 Leo Buring Leonay Eden Valley DWT17 Riesling </b>
Light gold. Textbook Riesling nose with passionfruit, lemon and floral aromatics. Hint of lychees and starting to develop. Palate is drier than expected. Clean, crisp acidity. Good balance. Complete antithesis of the nose with little primary fruit. Day 2 – grapefruit and acidity take over but still fresh. A good wine in its own right but outclassed in this company. <b>Very Good 17.5 / 20</b>

[David Lole]

<b>1973 Leo Buring DWC17 Eden Valley Riesling</b>
An Aussie legend. Superb level. Cork in excellent shape – some turning to get it out but no crumbling. Mid yellow colour – brilliant clarity. No hint of ageing or brown. Immaculate nose with fresh, zingy lime/lemon aromas. Hint of sweet honey and tropical fruits – apricots and kiwi fruit. Speck of aldehydes (rubber). After one hour, fruit lessens and complex characters take over. Just beautiful. The palate is packed with flavour. Medium-bodied. Beautiful structure and 30 second length. Still fresh, almost tangy and citrus-like with honey, marmalade, lime, passionfruit. A veritable cornucopia of fruit delights. Maintains its acid backbone after two hours as secondary development overlaid the fruit spectrum. Near perfect harmony and balance with a length that just cascades layer upon layer. A great wine in any company and one of the top three Aussie whites I have ever had – a seamless symbiosis of structure, balance, fruit. The previous two bottles I drank were not up to this one’s standard (they displayed kerosene characters that roughshod the wine). Alas, this was my last bottle of this great Aussie wine. Almost indestructible and ageless. <b>Grand Vin! 19.5 / 20</b>

<b>1988 Petaluma Riesling</b>
Another one of my last bottles. Read some debate on the Auswine forum late last year re: poor ageing capabilities of vintages in the 90s so I pulled out my last remaining oldie. Light yellow. Bouquet is powerful with fresh lemons. Palate is freshly cut grapefruit, lemon and lime. Very full-bodied with good acid. Crisp, with excellent length and fruit profile. Much more intense and concentrated than the 73 Buring but lacks its length and balance. Nonetheless, this is irrefutable fine wine. Still largely undeveloped too. The best Petaluma Riesling I have ever had (the 85, 86, and 87 were all over-the-hill when tasted early last year) – it will be interesting to see what becomes of the excellent 2002 in time. <b>Excellent 18.5 / 20</b>

<b>1990 Leo Buring Leonay Eden Valley DWT17 Riesling </b>
Light gold. Textbook Riesling nose with passionfruit, lemon and floral aromatics. Hint of lychees and starting to develop. Palate is drier than expected. Clean, crisp acidity. Good balance. Complete antithesis of the nose with little primary fruit. Day 2 – grapefruit and acidity take over but still fresh. A good wine in its own right but outclassed in this company. <b>Very Good 17.5 / 20</b>

Thanks for the great notes, Danny.

I have fond memories of the DWC17. Understandably, bottle variation the only caveat, as you say.

The '88 Petaluma sounds unbelievable. Mine were 'gone' years ago. How this one got through life like this amazes me.

The last bottle of 90 Eden Leonay I tried was outstanding - a 19 pointer all day long.

Today I served a 91 Eden Leonay which would go close to Outstanding as well. The last one I tried was very good but looked a bit tired compared to the one we tried today.

It all gets back to the cliche, there's no great old wines, only great bottles, I suppose.

Keep posting on these amazing wines, I enjoy reading them.

[Guest]

Thanks for the notes

I had the 1990 Leo Buring Leonay Clare Valley Riesling last weekend and that is a blinder!!
I think it's pretty rare for Buring to release a Clare and an Eden Leonay in the same year.....is that correct?

[Guest]

Danny,
can you date your tasting notes?

are all these you've been posting on consumed recently?

[Daryl Douglas]

Danny, it seems like you left the best bottle of the Buring until last! Sounds amazing for a 30 y.o. Australian riesling - your notes are excellent and I'm speechless with envy.

Regards

daz

[Baby Chickpea]

Guest - Tasted last weekend (Buring and Petaluma together on Fri/Sat, and Leonay on Sunday)

[The Grey Ghost]

Ah Danny, thanks for the notes.

It takes me back, how I pine for them, aged Aussie Rieslings (they're just not available in the East Islands).

Last I had was a Buring's Spaetlese, 1967 (tasted in 1999), and it shamed not the makers!

See, you've made me feel biblical ... yeah, I'm getting old too.