Wayne Thomas McLaren Vale Dry Riesling 2006 (12.5%, €18.46 down to €16.61 at Karwig’s)
Disclosure: bottle kindly provided as a sample, opinions my own
When I think of Aussie Riesling I think of Clare Valley, Eden Valley and Great Southern – in that order. As Australia has a fairly warm climate, higher altitude sites are often best for Riesling as it likes to be fairly cool.
But here’s one from McLaren Vale which is probably best known for its GSM blends. The grapes are from the sandy Oliver Creek Vineyards of McLaren Flat. Unfortunately, the winemaker Wayne Thomas passed away around ten years ago so there is no more of this wine being produced; his son is also in the wine business, but making quite different wines up in the Hunter Valley.
On the nose this shows lots of development: petrol and kerosene with a little tropical fruit. The palate is textured and racy, with chalky, mineral notes and fresh lime and grapefruit. The back label suggests 3 – 6 years ageing but this is still going very well – and an absolute bargain at the reduced price!
