This Oz riesling confirms my passion for cellaring!!

I have had some great rieslings from Best`s Great Western over the years and many have stood the test of time in the cellar. This `98 did not disappoint and was shared with the staff and loyal customers at DeVines downtown here in Edmonton.

WTN: `98 Best`s Great Western Riesling Concongella Vineyard, Victoria Aust.

Cellared for 8 yrs, soaked/stained cork, 12% alc, $15 Cdn when purchased. Opened and poured from bottle, no sign of any crystals, no sign of oxidisation at all.

The color is a deep lemon verging on pale gold. Wonderful nose here..some typical gasolein, glazed peach pie, "cheesy" thought one staff member. No sign of falling apart, I knew this wine would age nicely.
Leesy, lime, lemon quality on the palate. Dry-ish, not much in the way of tropical fruits here matey! I also found a nutty quality and the wine was still very much alive when I had the last glass twelve hrs later. It is hard to pin down the fruits at this late stage, maybe some mango and orange marmalade for sure.
Absolutely delicious, bravo BGW!!

Bob
Ta for this - definitely a winery I have an affinity for, including their riesling, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon & also their Cabernet Franc. Yet to try their Chardonnay or Pinot Meunier, but will do at some point I'm sure.

Prices do seem to be creeping up on the Shiraz (the younger vine Bin1 seems to be going for what the Bin 0 was going for only a couple of years ago). Also, despite still generally very fair prices, their occasional museum releases tend to be very pricey when they hit these shores.

regards

Ian

Bob, your post makes me wish that we had a better choice of Oz Riesling over here. Grosset's can had at a price range of €20-24, where there is stiff competition from Alsace and Austria, and Frankland Estate's are available for rather less and are much more competitive; I greatly enjoyed them at a tasting a year or so ago. Alas, if I want to see what they can be like 10 years after the vintage, I will have to cellar myself myself for 7-8 years.

In my limited experience Riesling is the thing that Oz does best for my palate. No fat refulgence and overbearing oak.

I have had some great rieslings from Best`s Great Western over the years and many have stood the test of time in the cellar. This `98 did not disappoint and was shared with the staff and loyal customers at DeVines downtown here in Edmonton.
WTN: `98 Best`s Great Western Riesling Concongella Vineyard, Victoria Aust.
Cellared for 8 yrs, soaked/stained cork, 12% alc, $15 Cdn when purchased. Opened and poured from bottle, no sign of any crystals, no sign of oxidisation at all.
The color is a deep lemon verging on pale gold. Wonderful nose here..some typical gasolein, glazed peach pie, "cheesy" thought one staff member. No sign of falling apart, I knew this wine would age nicely.
Leesy, lime, lemon quality on the palate. Dry-ish, not much in the way of tropical fruits here matey! I also found a nutty quality and the wine was still very much alive when I had the last glass twelve hrs later. It is hard to pin down the fruits at this late stage, maybe some mango and orange marmalade for sure.
Absolutely delicious, bravo BGW!!

Only 8 yrs, Bob??? That's just a baby!!
My experience is that Oz Rieslings age amazingly well. In fact, I can't think of one I've thought over the hill. I've had a few at 25-30 yrs of age
and they've been amazing...with the fusel oil/gout de petrol character you can sometimes get from old German Rieslings. And for such an ageable
wine, with little risk, they're remarkably cheap.
Only problem...they can oftentimes be very steely/austere w/ a teeth-chattering acidity when young...not a pleasure to drink. I use the same guideline
w/ Oz Riesling that I used to use w/ old-time Alsatian Riesling....the more unpleasant/hurtey/painful it is to drink young, the greater likelihood it'll
be a great old Alsatian Riesling. Alas...they don't make many like that anymore...they've mostly been Z-H'd.
Tom

Bob

Interesting tasting note. I have never even thought about Best's as a producer of riesling which just goes to show how many excellent rieslings are coming out of Victoria. Another riesling that keeps getting good accolades is Crawford River. I have yet to try one but a friend of mine who recently took over the production of one of Australia's oldest wine guides was raving about them last week at dinner. As Tony pointed out abover however, most of the good Australian rieslings really need min 5-7 years to begin to show anything worth trying.

Cheers
Mark

Tim, Tom and Mark thanks. Crawford River and Petaluma are usually in the cellar and I do have an affection for Alsace but not much of a good selection up here usually.
I have been cellaring Best`s for many years but track record can be spotty after 10 yrs. The price is always good too. There is some Jacobs Creek Steingarten here right now so may take a looksie. The Aus and UK boards are full of praise.
I have to add that there are some very nice rieslings coming out of Niagara and BC. Guess Tim will not find these either!

I don't share Tom's enthusiasm in Aussie Riesling's ability to age, carte blanche. Some do, many don't.

Bob

The Jacob's Creek Steingarten is regarded by many as the best wine, red or white, they make. I have a small amount tucked away and would suggest trying some.

Mark

I've heard great things about Orlando Steingarten Riesling (pre-sale), but have had very little experience with it. The Jacob's Creek Steingarten Rieslings I've had were boring and one-dimensional, and I'd rather drink something from Frankland River or Victoria instead.

BTW David, nice to see you still popping your head in here.