How to age gracefully.
Part 2 of our final day in Australia and the visit to Keith Tulloch Wines.
Part 1 can be found here- 2014 Keith Tulloch The Kester Shiraz
The1998 was the first of two Rieslings from the same producer. The 2001 notes will be posted tomorrow.
Assistant Winemaker at Keith Tulloch who was with for the tasting had done several vintages in Alsace and was able to provide a good insight into these wines, the vintage and the producer.
Riesling is a remarkable wine, and those from Alsace and neighbouring Mosel represent the benchmark of the variety. Delightful in their youth, vibrant, citrus and mouth-watering acidity, aged they are stunning. Delivery throughout their life, the acid softens, the wines develop complex citrus blossom and lanolin, before entering a toasty, sweet, petrol phase that defies anything it presented in its youth.
These wines, only three years apart, offered an insight into this process of change.
Outside of Australian Semillon and Chenin Blanc, no wine offers age-ability at such a low price point. Remarkable stuff.
The ’98, ’01 and all the Chablis were opened and poured into stemware. Over the course of the next few hours, the wines had an opportunity to present themselves at their best.
Dark straw leaning into bright gold. The wine showed serious viscosity in the glass. The nose is dominated by butter, honey and petroleum. A combination that looks unappealing in words but is quite stunning on the senses. There is soft lemon curd in the background, but it is fading. On the palate, it is textured and oily. The acid has faded, yet the wine remains in balance. It is a textural experience, and I find it difficult to describe the flavour profile. Buttery, yet not flabby, honey yet not sweet. Contradictions. A fantastic example of aged Alsace Riesling but might be slightly fading. For my palate, this wine a few years ago would have been outstanding.
Drink now.
92 pts.
