Pewsey Vale Museum Reserve The Contours Riesling 2012
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Pewsey Vale The Contours is characterized by a special site, sensitive vine growing and astute winemaking. The Contours Riesling is produced from old vines farmed on the coolest slope within this ruggedly beautiful single vineyard. Bottle ageing for five years before release transforms this Riesling into a complex wine. More richness and complexity will accumulate over future decades.
Pale straw in color with green hues, there are intense classic lemon fruit aromas, with a hint of white flowers. Bottle aged characters of toast, clove oil and lemon grass have started to emerge. The palate shows great length and depth with concentrated power, pristine fresh lime juice overlaid with toasted brioche, sage oil and lemongrass. The wine finishes with fresh acidity, balancing the flavour intensity. This wine is released in 2017 after 5 years of bottle age, but will gracefully continue to age for many years for those who appreciate bottle aged Riesling.
Try with Foie Gras or duck breast with five spice glaze or fresh gnocchi with olive oil and shaved truffles.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine & Spirits
Louisa Rose selects the fruit for Contours from a block planted in 1965 at this historic vineyard, dating to 1847. In an acknowledgment of the bottle age great Eden Valley riesling needs to realize its potential, Rose cellars this for five years before release; after we twisted the screw cap, the wine held its freshness for a week, which is not surprising, given that Pewsey Vale, an early adopter of Stelvin closures, can develop for three decades or more with proper cellaring. This 2012 is youthful, bright and crisp, with the crunch of fresh grapes yielding a flavor of lime essence and stony white peaches. Harmonious and vibrant.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pewsey Vale's 2012 The Contours Museum Reserve Riesling has been released right at the beginning of its maturity. It offers up hints of beeswax, bergamot and lime, with maybe just hints of nectarine and marmalade to balance things out. It's dry and medium-bodied, and shows just how good Eden Valley Riesling can be after a few years of age.
-
Wine Enthusiast
This is a classic example of an aged Eden Valley Riesling. Pale gold in color, aromas of lemon curd, kerosene, crème brûleé and dried herbs carry the nose. The palate is rich but balanced by mouthwatering acidity and a herbal finish. There's plenty of life left. Drink now–2027.
-
James Suckling
Very perfumed and aromatic with petrol, stone and lemon curd aromas that follow through to full body, fresh acidity and a medium finish. A solid wine as always. Drink now. Screw cap.
Other Vintages
2016-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James
- Decanter
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine
- Decanter
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine -
Suckling
James
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Parker
Robert
The Pewsey Vale Vineyard was established at Eden Valley in 1847 producing some of Australia’s first cool climate wines. The early Pewsey Vale Vineyard Rieslings were exported to England where they won numerous awards in the prestigious wine shows of the era. Today Pewsey Vale Vineyard is a highly esteemed, specialist, single site estate vineyard with provenance. Riesling is our single focus. Elevated above the Barossa Valley on undulating land, Eden Valley is situated between 450 and 500 metres above sea level. At this altitude, the cooler temperatures and greater diurnal range allow the grapes to retain their natural acidity, with aromatics and fine flavours slowly developing well into the cool, dry autumn. The soils through Eden Valley are generally shallow, rocky and acidic, in many areas suited only to the grazing of sheep and cattle. There are special pockets with slightly deeper soils and finer rocks, where the vineyards have been planted. Pewsey Vale is one of the great Riesling vineyards of the world. Where a true alliance between nature and variety exists, the need for human intervention is minimal. Gentle guiding hands and an understanding of place are all that is needed to create consistent and delicious wines… vintage after vintage.
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.
Higher in elevation and topographically more dramatic than the Barossa Valley floor, Eden Valley abuts it to its south and east. While it is a bit of an extension of Barossa, Eden Valley is topographically different than the pastoral Barossa Valley, and is composed of rocky hills and eucalyptus groves.
Recognizing Eden Valley’s potential with Riesling in the 1960s and 70s, producers started to move their Riesling production from Barossa to these better sites where schist soils on hilltops would produce more steely, tart and age-worthy examples. A most famous site, planted by Colin Gramp, called Steingarten, today produces one of the most outstanding Australian Rieslings. Youthful Eden Valley Rieslings express floral, grapefruit and mineral, while with time in the bottle, they become increasingly toasty and complex.
Riesling isn’t the only grape the region can grow; undeniably at lower altitudes Shiraz does very well. Mount Edelstone is a notable vineyard as well as the Hill of Grace, which boasts healthy Shiraz vines well over 100 years old. This is the only Australian region where Merlot has a made a name for itself and Chardonnay can be spectacular, particularly from the High Eden subregion in the southern valley.