2001 Howard Park Riesling Tasting Notes

The 2000/2001 growing season was almost perfect. The winter was very dry and the summer, perhaps, a little too hot but for those growers with balanced, more mature vines and realistic crop loads, fruit quality was outstanding. The Riesling fruit was picked in early March from vineyards in Mount Barker and the Porongurup’s, in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. As usual, to preserve the citrus-flavoured acidity, the Riesling was picked early in the season but, as a result of the warm, dry conditions, attractive hints of richer, slightly tropical fruits accompany the traditional lemons and limes. The fruit was given a very gentle crush – just sufficient to burst the individual berries. The resultant “free-run” was kept separate, being the finest quality juice, free from harsh, bitter phenolics. The Howard Park Riesling was selected from the best batches of fermented free-run juice, blended and bottled. This style of wine represents the purest expression of the fruit, a reflection of fruit quality.

The wine is a pale straw colour with lively, steely green tinges. The nose is a perfumed blend of limes, lemons and more tropical passionfruit. The immediate impressions on the palate are of a seamless structure, fine vibrant acids and lingering citrus flavours. The use of only free-run juice has given the wine “fineness”, balancing the fragile varietal flavours of Riesling. There is a complex array of flavours in the mouth, dominated by lemons, limes and grapefruit. These are supported by hints of spice and mineral on the mid-palate and green apple on the impressively long finish.

Vertical Tasting June 2006
“Bright, youthful green hues. Subtle clean lemony nose, some toasty character. Tight youthful palate, very clean and fresh, still has bright steely acidity needing further time for next stage of development.”

The refreshing lemons and limes make this wine very appealing in its first year or so. However it may take up to ten years before this fine steely structure transforms into the toasty, rich, complex wine that is an aged Riesling.