THE MAGIC OF RIESLING
AMY WISLOCKI
It has become a cliché, the esteem in which Riesling is held by members of the wine trade. I was recently the honorary journalist among a group of sommeliers who gathered at London restaurant Frog by Adam Handling, for a tasting lunch featuring 12 Rieslings from six producers, spanning vintages from 2005 to 2021. It was organised by Stefan Neumann MS to commemorate last year’s 175th anniversary of Australian Riesling specialist Pewsey Vale. Neumann consults for Pewsey Vale’s UK importer Fells, which also brings in the wines of Alsace’s Hugel, so we enjoyed four vintages from each of those two estates, alongside two(2007 vintage available from Wine Republic, £29.95) was a standout: unbelievably youthful for a wine of this age; saline, mineral and limey, with a hint of camomile. Tight and fresh, it’s a wine that isn’t tiring, and I didn’t find any kerosene or petrol characters. It was interesting to note Neumann’s comment that many Australian producers dislike these descriptors, preferring ‘clove oil’ instead. Not sure that will catch on…
