Riesling – a grape to love or hate?
Perhaps more polarising than Kyle Sandilands, Riesling is one of those grapes that most people either love or hate; rarely is there a middle ground. I’ve heard friends say they wouldn’t ruin their risotto by pouring in a cup of Riesling, but others vow that it’s the word they instinctively scan for when handed a restaurant wine list. So how is it that Australia can be the second largest producer of the varietal in the world (second only to Germany) yet apparently have only a relatively small group of disciples buying the stuff? Someone must be buying it!
I suspect that those who have sworn off the style have had some bad experiences with the Mosel styles that can have very high levels of residual sugar and can be sickly on the palate. Those styles have their place but don’t appeal to the mainstream consumers. And the issue isn’t assisted by winemakers who declare their Riesling to be “dry” in style just because they balance high acidity with (excessive) residual sugar. But Australia has some outstanding regions that are home to palate-pleasing styles of the grape that are crafted by winemakers who adopt contemporary vinification practices and expertly caress the fruit through the winemaking journey. Who doesn’t love a Clare or Eden Valley ‘rizza’?
I was recently reminded what an enchantress Riesling can be when I shared a bottle of the Howard Park 2022 Great Southern Riesling with friends. Such a pretty and floral wine that has almost no residual sugar (0.8 grams) but is delightfully balanced and packed with flavour. We tend to link the west to chardonnay and cabernet, but it seems they’re not too shabby with other varietals as well! So, what’s the genesis of such a copacetic drop?
While the Howard Park operation is based in the Margaret River region, their 2022 Great Southern Riesling is made from fruit sourced from vineyards in multiple subregions of the Great Southern region – an area that few of us know much about, but which is in fact the largest wine district in the world. It’s hard to believe that many wine lovers know so little about a wine region that covers some 1.7 million hectares – but perhaps that’s because it’s in the very isolated southwestern corner of Western Australia (not all that far from Albany). For the 2022 vintage of the Howard Park Riesling, fruit was selected from vineyards in cool climate and challenging sites in the Mount Barker and Porongurup sub-regions. They’re vineyards that struggle with low fertility and cool weather, which paradoxically does wonders for fruit quality.
Having been picked at optimum ripeness, the floral aromas are evident in abundance from the first sniff as you swirl the luxurious liquid around the glass. Take a sip, and the citrus blossom and Frangipani scents give way to lashings of pear, nectarine and cumquat flavours up front, while bright lemon/lime citrus characters contribute a ‘zippy zestiness’ to the back palate. It’s a very pure and linear wine that finishes with a lively acid punch. A delightful drop in its youth, there’s no doubt that patient cellaring over a decade or two will see it reach its crowd-pleasing potential.
As the star of sickly Marlborough savvies begins to wane, I reckon it’s wines like this Howard Park ‘rizza’ that will accelerate the rise of Riesling as a consumer-friendly white varietal that is perfectly suited to being poured as an afternoon aperitif or even paired with a delicate seafood dish. It’s a big thumbs up to the white from the west!
As published in The Courier Mail.