Hilltops 11.0% Screwcap $14.99 Source: Sample
The Clare and Eden Valleys are beginning to face some serious competition in the Riesling stakes, with Tasmania, Great Southern, Henty, Canberra and the Grampians all making some excellent expressions of the variety. Judging from a couple of Moppity versions, the Hilltops may be able to throw its hat into the ring with some success too.
This one is already approachable, with slight tropical accents adding accessibility to full flavoured, fresh limes, citrus zest and wet slate. The vivid bouquet includes some orange blossom and the faintest hint of herbaceousness. Length, form and drive are all good and there is some quite tasty spice on the back palate. The acidity is keen but not aggressive.
I’d imagine this would handle five or so years in the cellar with ease, but I’m not sure I’d bother as it is drinking really well now.
Winery website- http://www.moppity.com.au/
Didn't think this was too crash-hot Jeremy. Approachable, yes, but down in the pecking order of affordable Riesling. Didn't really taste like fine wine to me.
MichaelC
I can certainly understand what you are saying Michael. It's got its work cut out for it when competing against Pewsey, Heggies, Jim Barry etc…but it is also distinctly different in style to those wines and at $15 I think it offers something worthwhile.
Your last sentence addresses quality directly though. I can't say I'm overly fond of the term "fine wine" but we are all going to have differences of opinion on the issue of quality.
The 2010 Canberra wine show didn't see fit to award it even a bronze, so you're not alone in your appraisal. I respect those judges too.
I thought it better than that; more along the lines of Peter Forrestal who put it in GTwine's best buys sub $15 section. Winewise gave it a trophy in the 2010 Small Vigneron Awards and I wouldn't go that far nor even as far as JH's 90.
I would hope that my note suggests that, but I don't entirely write notes about "quality" alone…thus no scores. I'm an aesthete more than a judge
Quality is still part of the equation though, and I appreciate your feedback. It is always welcome on my site. As far as quality assessment goes, I am increasingly comfortable with difference and encouraging of dialogue.
What 'fine' wine sits at $15 a bottle? I think its very comfortable amongst its peers. JP you call it clear and loud, it speaks with varietal confidence. The end.
It's won a trophy and 2 golds so far and is in Peter Forrestal's Top 20 in Quaff 2011 (best riesling I'm told, though I haven't seen the book yet). A couple of other scribes have also rated it highly. It took a little while to settle down post-bottling so perhaps it's worth another look MichaelC?
JB
This is not a bad wine by any means and would probably drink it again with some pleasure. As for ‘fine wine’, whatever the hell that means (I accept the point), I think you can buy fine wine or something along those lines for around $15 give or take a few dollars. Pewsey Vale, Jim Barry Watervale, Heggies, some of the Barwang reds and Tahbilk reds (and some would say their Marsanne) spring to mind. And as for this wine being worth a gold medal, I accept the relativity of wine, though would struggle to understand how it would compete with many other Rieslings that would also earn 94 points and above. For the record, I gave it 87 points (actually initially scribbled 86/87), which most would say is bronze – and Campbell Mattinson, whose judgement I respect highly, gave it 87.
Suffice it so say that there are different views on the wine. So be it. Part of the fun isn't it?
MichaelC
I saw this wine for the first time at the Murrumbateman Cool Climate Show, JP, where it received a gold. At first glance it was a bit bubblegummy after being freshly poured but then it opened up nicely.
Only 2 x 2010 Rieslings achieved gold medals and this was one of them – Helm Premium was the other. It certainly is drinking well at the moment but is refreshingly different to the typical Clares on offer.