WTN: Leasingham "Magnus" Riesling 2004

Clare Valley.

Spices and petrol on the nose.
Grapefruit rind, lime, slightly effervecent on the tongue, peppery. Very intense, very lean, with a real edge. Certainly a wine that needs food.
Long grapefruit rind finish.

Screwcap closure.

Bruce
It sounds like this could use a little cellar time - the Leasingham Rieslings can often take 4-5 years with ease and up to a decade or more (though I've no experience with the magnus).
Great to see so many rieslings being drunk at the moment - still the wine enthusiasts hidden bargain? Probably so.
regards
Ian

Yup, have some elderly Bin 7 here somewhere. The `97 I believe and can open this week for an elongated Open Mike which might survive September at this rate.

>tannoy system, no more open mike this month< LOL.

Clare Valley.

Spices and petrol on the nose.
Grapefruit rind, lime, slightly effervecent on the tongue, peppery. Very intense, very lean, with a real edge. Certainly a wine that needs food.
Long grapefruit rind finish.

Screwcap closure.

Hello Bruce,
Don't think I've ever tried any "Clare Valley" stuff before. Are you're notes in any way typical of that appellation? Also, do you have a food recommendation for pairing?

I have been a big fan of Claire Valley Rieslings for many years. For me, top of the line!! Hey Bruce, wakey wakey!

Meanwhile check here............

http://www.winereviewonline.com/boyd_au ... ing_06.cfm

I have been a big fan of Claire Valley Rieslings for many years. For me, top of the line!! Hey Bruce, wakey wakey!

Meanwhile check here............

http://www.winereviewonline.com/boyd_au ... ing_06.cfm

Hey Bob this winereviewonline site is awesome!! Thanks for the reference!

Clare Valley.

Spices and petrol on the nose.
Grapefruit rind, lime, slightly effervecent on the tongue, peppery. Very intense, very lean, with a real edge. Certainly a wine that needs food.
Long grapefruit rind finish.

Screwcap closure.

Hello Bruce,
Don't think I've ever tried any "Clare Valley" stuff before. Are you're notes in any way typical of that appellation? Also, do you have a food recommendation for pairing?

From my experience, intense and lime are definitely in the typical style slot as is lean (in a good sense if you're cellaring them). Honey and Petrol aromas tend to come with decent age, though there's a few decent quick maturers.

Yup, have some elderly Bin 7 here somewhere. The `97 I believe and can open this week for an elongated Open Mike which might survive September at this rate.

>tannoy system, no more open mike this month< LOL.

Ian and Bruce, just opened the `97 Bin 7 from Leasingham and tasting alongside the Scharzhofberger. All prevoius bottles were OK but this one is in mourning as the Mosel sings!! Will post some notes on Open Mike, for what it`s worth.

It is funny how these young Clare Valley Rieslings show lots of petroleum notes, already when young. Anyone out there with an explanation for this phenomenon?

Cheers, Anders

It is funny how these young Clare Valley Rieslings show lots of petroleum notes, already when young. Anyone out there with an explanation for this phenomenon?

Cheers, Anders

What's even more interesting, Anders, is that when I sat down recently and talked to a Clare Valley Riesling producer, he was quite emphatic about NOT wanting those petrol notes you mention to show in his wines!

The discussion eventually led to what he believed was a problem with winemaking technique or style amongst many of the Aussie producers, that is to say, inability to handle the sulphur levels in wine at bottling time. This winemaker feels that many of the winemakers in OZ don't totally understand the intricacies of balancing sulphur levels...and the different types of sulphur, or differrent manifrestations of it, and how those types/manifestations interact to influence taste/smell.

Ironically enough---since he was one of the first and the loudest to champion screwcaps in Clare, which trend started the New Zealanders to think seriously about screwcaps, which then reverberated throughout the wine world---he says one of the problems is the screwcap, in that it accentuates the sulphur and emphasizes otherwise faint odors that would not show in less permeable closures.

He does add, though, that as winemakers get more familiar with screwcapped wines they are getting more sophisticated in dealing with sulphur and the reductive notes that occur under those closures.

This guy's goal is to keep those intense lime-aid and tropical characters for as long as possible, and to avoid any petrol/diesel fumes showing in his wines, because they are not seen as appropriately characteristic And since he is one of the people who sits on the official government panel that certifies wines for export, he's got a bit of say in the matter.

Thanks for the info, Hoke!
So what you are saying is that the petroleum in yourn Aussie Rieslings mainly is due to too high levels of sulphur(?) Sounds a bit strange to me, but I'd love to hear more knowledge about this.
Cheers, Anders

Thanks for the info, Hoke!
So what you are saying is that the petroleum in yourn Aussie Rieslings mainly is due to too high levels of sulphur(?) Sounds a bit strange to me, but I'd love to hear more knowledge about this.
Cheers, Anders

Not exactly, Anders. Sorry, I should have been more clear (a frequent failing of mine ). From what I understood him to say, the presence of petrol in young Clare Rieslings would be the result of either a) poor winemaking, or b) inappropriate sulphur levels at bottling, or c) reductive notes in the wine (but if it's that, it should blow away within a matter of a few minutes).

While I would not think of disagreeing with someone's sensory evaluation of a wine, I can say that from my own personal view I seldom encounter any petrol-like characters in Clare Valley Rieslings. I do get sulphur from some of them. I also notice some reductive characters occasionally, which is easily enough handled. The predominat character, for me, of Clare Rieslings is that intense lime-aid, lime flower nose, also sometimes expressed as lemon, with piercing acidity and usually with high alcohol to match. Sometimes the lime will go over towards the exotic tropical fruit side, but I usually find that more in the Eden Valley. The Margaret River Rieslings are sort of a combination of the lemon and tropical, and with slightly fuller body, I believe; probably that is a result of the climate, which is moderately warm but very consistent throughout the growing season.

The only thing I can add is that when Riesling is poorly grown, over-cropped, or made in a sloppy manner (bulk rather than quality), it can be bitter and somewhat acrid, with some strange aromatics...and that's why Riesling in that vein usually carries some residual sugars to soften and mellow it out. You see that in Germany, and the US, and some other areas all the time. I think you can see it just as easily in Australia.[/code]

OK, a little clearer, Hoke, but I would still love to know more about why and, in particular how, these petroleum notes appear in Rieslings.
I have heard the opinion that a pronounced petroleum note in a young Riesling is really to be regarded as a fault, so I got a bit puzzled when I found these notes also in such a highly regarded Clare Valley Riesling as Grosset's Polish Hill 2004.
Any more detailed info about the reason for these diesel notes are welcome.
Anders