Wine Reviews: Australian Riesling from Barossa Valley

It's wine wednesday! And what better way to celebrate than with a wine review! This time I had the opportunity to taste a Riesling from an unexpected area - Australia! More specifically, from Barossa Valley in the southern region of Australia.

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Are you as surprised as I am that I picked up a Riesling from Australia?! Honestly, I have always been a huge advocate for Riesling. Too many of us assume that all forms of Riesling are sweetness bombs. While some are pretty sweet, there are tons of Riesling styles made in Germany and the U.S. that have great acidity and fruit flavors without the overwhelming sweetness. Plus, some even argue that Riesling is one of the best food pairing wines. But my passion for German Rieslings aside, I did not know that they made decedent Riesling in Australia! 

After I heard about Australian Rieslings, I have been looking for them for a while - they are surprisingly hard to find. But when I moved to my new apartment and stopped in what is now my neighborhood wine shop, I found one! It is made by Chateau Tanunda in Barossa Valley.

Barossa Valley is located in South Australia, around the city of Adelaide. Barossa Valley, along with Coonawarra, are two of the best wine growing regions in the whole country. The wine making style in Barossa Valley has been heavily influenced by the British.

Chateau Tanunda Grand Barossa Riesling 2010

Where it's From?  Barossa Valley region of South Australia.

Grapes?  100% Riesling.

Winemaker Notes.  The wine has a subtle yellow color with delicate aromas of lime blossom and citrus fruit. The flavor features lemon, lime, passion fruit and a juicy finish. The finish has a touch of minerality and refreshing acidity. Forty percent of this wine comes from old vines planted on the Château Tanunda Estate in the 1920s.

My Thoughts.  Every time I try a Riesling like this, I wonder when Americans will understand the versatility of this grape! It's delicious. Especially when it is made in this dry and refreshing style. I could not agree with the winemaker's notes more - I loved the minerality, acidity, and bright citrus flavors. I look forward to more delicious Rieslings out of Australia.

Cheers!

Winter Wine Project: Red Knot Shiraz

I don't know what it is about this Winter Wine Project, but each time I write a new review the weather is at least 15 degrees colder. That's right folks, I'm writing my latest wine review while its a balmy 7 degrees outside. Sounds like perfect red wine drinking weather to me.

Surprisingly,  this is one of the firsts posts discussing wines made in Australia. But the Aussies can definitely hold there own when it comes to New World wine-making. Australia is the 4th largest exporter of wine. The key wine regions are located primarily in the south, including: South Australia, South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia. The major grape varietals grown here are Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Semillon, and Riesling. Wines are typically labeled by the grape varietal and the labeled grape must constitute  at least 85% of the blend.

A fun fact about Australia, GSM blends are very popular. GSM stands for a common red blend made of Grenache, Shiraz and  Mourvèdre. This blend was traditionally associated with Southern Rhône, including Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  The most famous label out of Australia (which I'm sure you have seen once or twice) is Penfolds Grange. Now let's get to the real wine review.

Red Knot Shiraz McLaren Vale Australia (2012)

Grapes: 92% Shiraz, 8% Grenache.

Where it's From: Southern Australia, grapes source from McLaren Vale Vineyard.

Alcohol: 14%

Winemaker's Notes: Deep magenta color. Aromas of black cherry, strawberry, milk chocolate with hints of roasted coffee and vanilla. The palate comprises of summer berries balanced with mild tannin and fresh acidity. Medium body.

My Thoughts:  This wine only gets better the more you allow it to breathe. I feel like a broken record, but I almost every red I drink definitely benefits from decanting. Initially, I thought this wine was off-balanced, but after decanting to really opened up. The berry fruit flavors became more prominent and it was very smooth. Definitely uncomplicated, but very drinkable. 

Until next time, Cheers!