CARRIGALINE: TOP RIESLING COUNTRY

RIESLING COUNTRY

Germany, Alsace and the Clare and Eden Valleys in Australia are noted as great places to grow Riesling. But Western Australia can also come up with the goods as evidenced by the Tingleup below. It won Decanter magazine’s Regional Champion Award for the best Australian Riesling on sale in the UK at under £10.00 and is one of a few I've tasted recently.

Bernhard Mehrlein, 2008 Riesling Classic, Rheingau, 12%, €12.80 Karwig Wines, www.weingut-mehrlein.de

Bird in Hand Riesling 2005, Clare Valley, 12%, €19.88, Karwig Wines, www.birdinhand.com.au

Tesco Finest Tingleup Vineyard Riesling, Great Southern, Western Australia, 2010, €11.99, Tesco, http://www.howardparkwines.com.au

Karwig Wines in Carrigaline is probably the best place in Ireland for Riesling and they have some very good ones indeed, including the Kerpen Riesling Blauchiefer Trocken 2010, 11.5%, €12.69, a well priced favourite of mine.

Must try older ones like this!

I also enjoyed their Mehrlein. Nose is aromatic with a slight hint of the famous petrol. The intro to the palate is lively and fruity, crisp and fresh, lime and apples to the fore with an almost perfect balance of sweetness and acidity and it comes complete with a decent minerally finish. Perhaps practice makes perfect in this vineyard as 95% of the output is Riesling. A good wine at a good price.

The Bird in Hand has that petrol, both in the aroma and on the palate. It also has more fruit than the Rheingau but still holds a good balance. It also has more body, maybe less liveliness, and that petrol is always there. This estate grown limited release is classed as a premium wine from an area renowned for its Riesling.

The Tingleup bottle comes from an area better known for excellent Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon but one can see why it won the Decanter award. It is fresh, fruity and dry with a fine long finish. Apple, pear and lime combine to give the refreshing tingle (this one is well named) and the finish echoes the introduction.

And so my Riesling education continues. At present, I have to say that I prefer the younger ones, such as the Kerpen and Tingleup. But I’ll have to get my hands on more of the older ones and see how it goes.

By the way, the Eden Valley topped the Riesling charts in Decanter for the over £10 category. The winner was Peter Lehmann’s Wigan 2005. Not too sure who sells that in Ireland.

According to both Hugh Johnson and Oz Clarke, Howard Park is one of the top producers in the Margaret River area. They make this Tingleup but you’ll need your glasses on to see their name on the label. Still, this is a top Riesling. And well priced.