Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A little skin contact and some oxidative handling here. Fermented in stainless and large oak, too. There’s a distinctive citrus edge with kumquat, lime and grapefruit. The granite soils deliver a sheer, punchy and pithy texture on the palate. The phenolics work well here. It also shows acidity and flavors of green apples and lime. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
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Wine Enthusiast
Mac lists his wines' technical info on his back labels, and in the case of his Rieslings, announces the residual sugar, naming each vintage after the final amount. This vintage is 9 g/L higher than the previous vintage, taking this into off-dry territory, although there's enough acid here that your palate might not detect it. The nose shows citrus, apple and floral aromas. This Riesling is poised for a long and graceful life.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
As the most important area of wine production in Victoria today, the Yarra Valley is most popular for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which account for over half of vineyard acreage. A gentle, rolling and rural region alongside the Margaret River, the Yarra Valley has a cool maritime climate with a lengthy growing season, perfect for these cool-climate varieties.
Two styles of Pinot Noir are possible here. The warmer Lower Yarra Valley with sandy, loam soils, produces plush and fruity Pinot Noir while the cooler, higher-elevation Upper Yarra Valley with soils of young red basalt, produces more angular and mineral-driven Pinot Noir.
Yarra Valley Chardonnay is among the best in Australia. To preserve the floral aromatics and fresh citrus flavors for which this area’s Chardonnay is so appreciated, time in barrel is restrained (though barrel fermentation is common). The best Yarra Valley Chardonnays display brilliant acidity, leesy characteristics, citrus, stone fruit and flavors of ginger and spice.
Shiraz and Cabernet find success in parts of this region as well.