The Auswine Forum

Eleven keen souls got together for a Riesling fest last night, as you can see the list was long and varied, a ring in or two and a bunch of reds to finish up. Thanks to all those who attended!

A few dud corks (the TCA on the 83 Prum was intense), but we weren't lacking for bottles.

My top highlights were the Dandelion 12, Tertini 05, Pinot Gris 2000 and the wonderfully textural (and rare!) Alzinger 2000. The Austrian TBA 2013 was probably my WOTN though, it was epic in both intensity, sweetness and acid balance.

I wasn't quite as taken as others with the Prums, I find that while they have good balance and acid, the flavours aren't particularly complex or interesting when young, a bit mono dimensional, sugar shows through a bit much. Nice but not rocking my world. Much time needed, they do age very well.

Really enjoyed the two Wendouree's although I think I liked them a bit better when they were first opened at a friends house 5 hours earlier, they put on a bit too much weight compared to how the were at the pop and pour stage. Very impressed with them overall though. Foillard was good, not as ripe as the 15 which was a relief and I really enjoyed the way the Luke Lambert Neb 12 was evolving, hadn't cracked one for a few years, and really liked it. The Cappelano took many hours to unfurl, had us worried for a bit, but did open up well. I wouldn't open any more for many years if I had some though.

Great food throughout the evening at GC, big group of 11 made for a rowdy night, but so much variety made it fun.

Notes are courtesy of DrHesh, I'm in general agreement, other than my comments above (and a couple in brackets below).

Dandelion Riesling 2010 - Kero, crushed rocks, limes, apple lemon, pithy notes on the finish and waxy notes on the mid palate. nice enough but looking flabby compared to the 12.
Dandelion Riesling 2012 - Bathsalts, apples, spritzy lemon and minerality. length to burn. delicate. excellent wine

Yalumba Rhine Riesling Carte D'Or 1986 - copper coloured, plenty thought this was an old german when served. after the reveal it made sense that it was Australian given the sweetness without the acidity. plenty of acid but perhaps over the hill.
JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese 2012 - lovely nose, mega concentration and excellent acidity. white peach, lime, lychee. just delicious

Mt Edwards Drumlin Riesling 2011 - ripping acidity. Unripe peach, lemon. Austere nose. Feels drier than it smells. Boring
Framingham F-Series Spatlese 2012 - intense concentration. Peach. Honey. Full texture. Tropical. Lots to love. Acidity a little coarse. (bottle 259 of 452)

Howard Park Great Southern 2013 - lemon. Apple. Big juicy acidity. A little bit too much perhaps
Tertini 2005 - mint, lemon verbena, savoury. Bit of peach fuzz. Nice acidity. slight hole in the mid palate. Apple.

Grosset Springvale 2006 - nice line. Lemons, lemon curd and crushed rock. Good acidity. Bath salt.
Seppelt Drumborg 2006 - Lime and lemon. Linear.pithy. Kero.

Petaluma Hanlin Hill 1997 - stuffed. (oxidised)

Alzinger Loibner Loibenberg Smaragd 2000 - interesting nose. rich. bruised apple, pithy, lovely acidity line. Sees some maceration apparently. whacky wine. definitely one of the most interesting. (loved this, so textural and layered)

JJ Prum Kabinett 2011 - reduction. Front palate sweetness. Pineapple. Peach. Lithe. Delicate.
JJ Prum Kabinett 2012 - more concentration. More acidity. Lovely flow. Green apples. Minerality. Lime.

SA Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese 1983 - CORKED (badly)
JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenheur Auslese 2012 - CORKED

Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Auslese 2011 - pineapple. Peaches, white flowers. Elderflower. Soft juicy acidity

Louis Sipp Tokay Pinot Gris SGN 2000 - botrytis. Mint. Sweetness. Toffee
Trimbach Gewurztraminer 1983 - fried dough, pizza crust. Burnt caramel

Jean Foillard Cuvee Corcelette 2016 - cherries, whole bunch, strawberries. Lovely silty tannins. Clove. Watermelon.
Dr Edge 'North Tasmania' Pinot Noir 2016 - floral and lifted. Cherry. Dark fruit. Fine grippy tannins. Light.

Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 - va? Bay leaf? Cabernet! Light blackberry
Wendouree Cabernet Malbec 2016 - huge tannin. Pretty blue and red fruits. Lifted. Black tea. Vanilla oak.

Luke Lambert Nebbiolo 2012 - (didn't take any notes) (bottle 25 of 2789)
Cappellano Barolo Otin Fiorin Pie Rupestris 2013 - (didn't take any notes)

Lackner Tinnacher Sudsteiermark Osterreich TBA 2013 - lychee. Pineapple. Sugar cane. Epic concentration. Great acidity

Ruinart Blanc de Blancs NV appeared in there somewhere as a palate cleanser too, always a decent Champagne.

Some bottle pics, obv missed a bunch amongst the flurry of bottles.

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Wow, thanks TiggerK, what a great line-up!! Thanks for sharing!

Tim - So Wendouree back to old schoolish or still new?

Polymer wrote:Tim - So Wendouree back to old schoolish or still new?

Hi Kev, so hard to judge older Wendouree vs current as I didn’t taste the older stuff young. But I would say these two 2016’s are the best young Wendouree I’ve tried (tried them young since around 2009 or so).

I would say 85% new style, but with a 15% structural nod to the past, albeit it in a lighter, redder vs black fruit way. That may well be vintage factors at play, but I’m very happy with the stylistic change either way.