Thank God for the Austrians! Their efforts at making, marketing and redefining the concept of the bone-dry riesling is already having a profound effect downunder. Australian makers are not only being inspired to make better riesling than ever before, but are more enthusiastic about having their rieslings accepted by informed wine-drinking markets around the world. Of course it’s early days, but the results are already there in the bottle. And, in a marvellous piece of perfect timing, early indications suggest that the 2005 vintage for riesling could be one of the country’s finest yet, at least the equal of the spectacular 2002. Much of the credit for the focus on Australian riesling must be due to Judy Cullam and Barrie Smith of Frankland Estate, a small vineyard and winery in a rather remote part of Western Australia which has single handedly staged several biennial International Riesling Tastings in Sydney and Melbourne that have brought together the cream of the world’s riesling makers to mix ideas and philosophies with the home-grown variant. It might be pure coincidence, but Australian dry rieslings began to look rather more international a year or two after these events began in 2000. What do I mean by more international? More complete, focused, tightly sculpted and complex in their youth, to begin with. Then, as they age, they present a floral perfume with a broader spectrum of fruit, from apple and pear to peach and apricot (and I’m not talking about a marginal botrytis effect). While their aromas are becoming more musky and funky, there’s also a distinctly noticeable increase in the presence of minerality on nose and finish. How are these refinements being introduced to Australian riesling? Leading winemakers like Jeff Grosset, Matthew Pick (Leo Buring) and Arthur O’Connor (Seppelt Drumborg) believe that most of the work is done in the vineyard. For several years Grosset has been at the cutting edge of site selection and viticultural attention to detail with riesling. Trained on the principles of broad-scale viticulture, many Australian winemakers such as these guys have adopted instead a more European view that concerns itself with the health and balance of the individual vine. In the ‘mesh’ joint venture between Grosset and Yalumba’s Robert Hill Smith, the vineyards are picked several times, row by row, to ensure and optimal and more even ripeness. Lower crops that deliver more intensity and concentration are integral to the Leo Buring and Seppelt rieslings that are now being recognised as modern superstars. Once in the cellar, some winemakers are heading towards more complex, funky, slightly reductive and mineral rieslings by consciously adding less sulphur dioxide, leaving wines on primary lees for longer and even experimenting with large neutral oak casks. Judi Cullam has even commissioned one for her very minerally and savoury Frankland Estate rieslings. To get an idea of what I’m talking about, do your best to find a 2005 vintage riesling from these labels: Grosset, mesh, Seppelt Drumborg, Leo Buring, Tim Adams and Mitchell. As a group, the vintage marries the open, generous nature of the 2002s with the tightness and structure of the 2003 Eden Valley vintage. So, if you’re as excited as I am by what Austria has done with riesling in recent years, it might be time you enjoyed a big surprise from the opposite side of the planet.
