A South Australia Riesling

It was only after I finished this bottle (hint, to the last drop) that I read its 2012 vintage was named as the best wine in Australia at Dan Murphy’s National Wine Show in Canberra. I wonder. I can’t forget that Australia makes some mighty fine wines, some of which can compete with virtually anything in the world. Jim Barry was an internationally known wine maker, established in South Australia’s Clare Valley in 1959. The winery boasts 4 vineyards in the Valley. Lodge Hill has brown loam soil over a layer of clay and slate bedrock that is an unbelievable 900 million years old. What more can I say? The companion wine is a mixed Riesling and Vidal (check out the article for more information on that second grape) at half the price.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Dry Riesling 2011 12 % alcohol $20.

Let’s start with the marketing materials. “Description : Gold Medal winner at the 2011 Royal Queensland Wine Show. A fabulous wine for grilled calamari or a shrimp with pesto pasta dish. Tasting Note : Bright, pale green, the wine has a complex bouquet of spice, citrus and apple, the perfectly balanced palate even more complex, with its flavor span anchored by citrus but extending into cool climate chardonnay notes of white peach and grapefruit… Drink until 2025. Score – 95. (James Halliday, at the Australian wine companion web site , Nov. 18, 2011).” And now for my review.

At the first sips this wine was subtly sweet offering the taste of lime and white grapefruit. The initial meal centered on a dry commercial, garlicky barbecued chicken breast. In response the libation picked up. It had a burnt taste and was long. The accompanying pickle-laced potato salad lightened the contents of my glass, which became more acidic. The white grapefruit taste intensified. The other side dish was a Turkish salad (according to the label) that consisted of onions, tomato paste, red peppers, vegetable oil, garlic, and sugar. Now our Australian friend had peaches added to the mix. This blahish meal terminated with a square or two of Swiss bittersweet chocolate. The liquid was subtle, or perhaps just weak, but its acidity was good.

This review of  A South Australia Riesling continues on my website at
http://theworldwidewine.com/Wine_articles/Elsewhere_wine_articles/south_australia_riesling.php