[question] Question submitted by Gregory Ward. Jeremy, I have been reading your reviews of various 07 rieslings recently, and have formed a view that you are not particularly enamoured with most of the offerings released thus far.I have not tasted them myself (I let you do all the hard work for me), so should I continue to source other (Australian) vintages? What happened in 2007? [/question] [answer] While some people like Jeff Grosset had the wisdom and the wherewithal to realise what extra needed to be done in 2007 and when to do it, it was a very challenging vintage for the classic South Australian regions of Clare Valley and Eden Valley, Clare especially. The drought, the frost and then the heat caused accelerated sugar ripening in Clare, which has caused many of its rieslings to lack their typical intensity and richness of fruit flavour. The best wines, however, from Grosset, Brian Barry and Kilikanoon, reveal much about the quality of their vineyard management. While the Eden Valley, being marginally cooler, fared better, it would still be suggesting too much that its rieslings delivered their typical texture, finesse and longevity. That said, Mountadam and Henschke have produced excellent wines, with Leo Buring not far behind. The best 2007 Australian riesling I have tasted to date is the tight, mineral and deeply layered Seppelt Drumborg Riesling, from Henty in western Victoria. Personally, with so many rieslings from 2005 still on the market, including the Jacob’s Creek Steingarten, I’d be shopping here. [/answer]
