I've been following Clonakilla's Riesling for a number of years with considerable pleasure. Its style has changed year to year, sometimes slightly and sometimes markedly. Or has it? In a sense, the local dialogue around wine styles is excessively hung up on consistency of winemaking. It's a truism that most of our Riesling styles are bone dry, although some self-consciously off-dry wines have made a recent re-entrance. But does dryness define style? Take Vouvray as a contrary example -- often, vintage conditions will dictate an outcome in terms of residual sugar based on what is most appropriate. Despite these variations, few would argue that a Vouvray sec is unrelated, stylistically, to a tendre or demi-sec. Indeed, they are all Vouvrays, collectively different from Chenin Blanc based wines made elsewhere.
This wine is made in a joyously aromatic, robust style. It seems totally dry, yet sits comfortably in the mainstream of Canberra Riesling, even those that show some residual sweetness. There are high toned florals and tropical fruits, lychee-like in character, all quite powdery and full of impact. Compared to Clare Riesling, it is far less driven by juicy citrus characters. Compared to Eden, it's less minerally. The Canberra style seems all about heady florals and talc, very appealing, very much its own thing.
The palate is explosively acidic and, at the moment, a little forbidding. Sizzly acid dances across the tongue from entry onwards. It's confronting, but doesn't mask the fruit flavours, which are full and rich in their expression. The sourest of lemon blossom notes hits first, followed by some (dry) tropical fruit and powderiness. Nice thrust into the back of the mouth, with a flinty note carring this wine through to a sensationally long finish.
This reminds me most of the 2005 Clonakilla Riesling, a wine that is ageing slowly and gracefully as I type. This is a bit fuller but, I suspect, will age equally well.
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