Ahh Tasmania, land of milk and honey. Actually, it is more like the land of wombats, wine and wildness (doesn't quite sound the same though). Anyways, this brisk and super clean Tassie Riesling has much going for it - crisp, lively fresh and juicy with just a pinprick of sweetness. So crisp and fresh and tasty! Nice wine indeed.
Past Accolades and Awards:
James Halliday: 96 Twelve per cent of the wine was given extended skin contact, barrel fermentation, lees stirring and oak maturation, and blended with the conventionally made proportion. Bright straw-green; the extra palate weight and texture are instantly obvious as you taste the wine, with its overtones of Alscace Riesling, the one crucial difference being the higher acidity in this wine, which was the last to be bottled of the three '11 white wines reviewed in this edition. Seeing it develop will be well worth the journey. Wine Companion tasting note.
James Halliday: 95 In the wake of lively Tasmanian acidity, a touch of residual sweetness is the key to balance, achieved by Steve Lubiana by stopping fermentation by taste rather than numbers. Such is its pristine kaffir lime, tangy Granny Smith apple fruit and impressively textured structure that any impression of sweetness all but disappears.
James Halliday: 94 A new venture for the ever-enterprising Steve Lubiana, identical to his Blue Label Riesling but for wild fermentation in used oak puncheons. There's no oak flavour to speak of, but heightened spice and beautifully rounded texture that serves to soften its acidity without diminishing fruit precision.
