You know the deal with Flaxman by now. Dry grown, hand picked, micro-quantity and quality focused. 150 cases made.
Very pale straw hue with distinct green tinges. Very expressive open nose, with pretty florals. It’s quite generous on the palate with ripe lime juice & cordial on entry followed by a little lemon. The acidity builds well and some pleasant tart green apple balances a slight sense of sweetness before an extremely pleasing back palate. It’s not too austere and very much able to be enjoyed now.
Not too much talc or chalk, this is more about wet slate on a finish of excellent length and delightful tanginess. Almost a game of two halves, but one flows into the other well enough to achieve an impressive sense of overall coherence.
It will be interesting to see how this ages. Or indeed, to see if I can leave bottles alone long enough to age. More-ish.
Winery Website- http://flaxmanwines.com.au/
The Karra Yerta vineyard is about 800 metres north of the Flaxman vineyard so it's always interesting trying the two wines together. The sweetness you saw in the Flaxman is purely fruit sweetness as it's bone dry at less than 1 gpl of residual.
Yes, I should have made it clearer that the "generosity" was clearly fruit sweetness. It didn't taste of residual sugar in any way.
Fascinating to hear the vineyards are so close though. The 2009 Karra Yerta seemed a very different style coming from the same vintage. But, as I understand it, that is the beauty of the "terroir".
It would be interesting to put a few of each away and track them over the years. Something I may well do…
cheers
jeremy
There are a lot of exceptional rieslings produced along this ridge Jeremy; Heggies, Pewsey Vale, Flaxman, Karra Yerta, Wroxton and McLean's Farm. All are similar and yet different and some of this is due to terroir but also the time of harvest makes a difference too, especially in extreme weather conditions. It's quite an art to know exactly when to pick for the style you are trying to achieve. Either way, it's hard not to get a great riesling from this entire area simply due to the fact that we are higher and therefore the summers are cooler than say, on the Valley floor and Clare Valley.
Pewsey Vale are definitely a favourite. Heggies too, although for some reason I was a little underwhelmed this year. Still a very good wine.
I started out very much a "Clare" man when it came to riesling and, depending on my mood I still will often choose a Clare riesling. These days it seems I prefer the Eden expressions of the grape, at least in a general sense.
That said I have heard that more (not all) producers struggled during the difficult 2008 vintage in the Clare than in Eden. As you point out that could be due to altitude, or it could be more Eden Valley producers picked before the heatwave…
Do you think vine age is a big factor in style as well? Or is it more dependent on the wine maker & viticulturalists vision and decisions?
In any case, the number of quality Rieslings from the 2009 vintage that I have tasted from both the Clare and Eden Valleys is extremely pleasing to me. Now if I can just convince more of my friends that it is a great grape that is seriously "under-priced" at the moment, we'll all win
I haven't tried any of the Pewsey or Heggies this year Jeremy. Must do over the summer.
Re Clare, I absolutely adore Clare rieslings and love nothing better than to have a bottle of EV and Clare open at the same time so I can really pay attention to the differences. Unlike most people I do not see it as being a competition, more a blessing that I have two such wonderful regions that make wine that I love and so accessible:)
I must read some reviews on some of the Clare 2008 rieslings to see how they travelled compared to Eden Valley ones. Or better still, a road trip to taste some (oh, wish I had time!)
I do think vine age makes a lot of difference (and also in regards to dry-grown ie really deep roots or irrigated) but winemakers and viticulturists can make or break a goood harvest. Mistakes can still happen and lately, vintage seems so hectic with such extreme weather that it really is something you have to be on the ball with every single day if you are very particular about what style of wine you are seeking to make.
Riesling will continue to struggle as the most popular white variety for a few years yet I think but over time we are all educating and surprising people with this wonderful variety. It will happen:)