The Wine
Named it after Eric Vivian Thomson who played an instrumental role in this 51st vintage!
I love riesling! all of them, just dry, dry, off-dry, botrytis.
However, I have to be in the mood for a riesling. For me, it’s a plan to have with a meal type of wine. Not something I just whip out of the fridge and drink as I would a chardonnay for example.
Having said all that, this wine from Best’s Great Western is among my very favourite Australian rieslings. Though you need to be quick as it’s hard to find on the shelf. You really need to get on the mailing list to make sure you get some, even then it’s still limited.
In the glass, the wine is a translucent golden straw colour that only comes from age as it glows softly in the glass.
On the nose warm rounded aromatics of kero and honey, wow what a combo, now white flowers and mature rounded notes of citrus with an Australian bush hint wafting from my glass…to spite the rich honey mouth feel of the wine, it is not overly sweet.
In the mouth the wine is still very drinkable, however, it’s starting to tire a little, with age.
The luscious honeyed flavours are balanced by a hint of lemon, with ghosts of steel like acidity that carries the full length of the wine to a long drying finish.
At 8 years of age, I think this bottle has reached its best and may not improve with further age. So if you are lucky enough to be among the hand full of people with this wine in your cellar, drink it with good friends, or like me drink over a day or two, just to see where the wine travels.
Australian Riesling is in a class of its own. This wine puts Australian Riesling on the world stage. As far as I am concerned Australian Riesling’s are as interesting as the Rieslings of Alsace.
Now that’s one Hell of a statement…please note: I said it as interesting, not the same as the Rieslings of Alsace.
Having said that, for the people that avoid Riesling for one reason or another.
SORRY guys you are missing out on a very interesting and well-made wine…this Riesling is good, it’s seriously very, very good!
The Food
I had this wine with a lemon chicken stir-fry on a bed of jasmine rice.
The honey character of the wine blended so well with the aromatics of the lemon chicken the and acid cleaned the plate. A wonderful food & wine pairing.
Australian Riesling
Wine Fact
On my soapbox again.
If this wine had Penfolds on the label. You would almost certainly pay twice as much. And not even question the price!
Give a quality Riesling ago, you might just be very surprised at just how interesting a white wine can get. One of those wine bargains, that constantly gets overlooked by a lot of people.
Michael Lillis
The Rot has Set In
