Australian Riesling

Australia has a long association with this German variety, writes Anthony Rose, and the Clare and Eden Valleys are the prime spots for diverse, ageworthy styles

133 wines tasted Impressive consistency and great value for money were the hallmarks of this tasting

FEW COUNTRIES OUTSIDE Germany take Riesling quite as seriously as Australia. Its history with the variety goes back to the first half of the 19th century, after the country’s first viticulturist, William Macarthur, travelled to the Rheingau to bring back Riesling cuttings. Early Pewsey Vale Rieslings were described by Thomas Hardy as ‘fine, light, delicate… and nearer in type to the Rhine wines than any produced in the Colony’.

No Rhine River runs through South Australia’s Clare or Eden Valleys though, and the climate is relatively warm and dry by German standards, which makes the wines from these two valleys – the dominant terroirs for Riesling in Australia – an enigma. How, then, do they acquire their finesse, freshness and potential for ageing?

Until Chardonnay overtook it a generation ago, Riesling had long been Australia’s premier white grape, with a proud heritage stretching back to the 19th century when Silesian immigrants became early adopters of the natural conditions of Clare and Eden.

Altitude plays a part here, and with it aspect, shallow rocky, slatey and sandy soils. As does a relatively broad diurnal temperature range that allows for the variety’s accumulation of natural acidity and spine of steel; these create a potential for longevity here that can rival its European counterparts of Germany, Austria and Alsace.

Purity and elegance

Cutting down on (or cutting out) fertiliser in organic and sustainable viticulture is an important handmaiden of lower yields, while biodiversity assists with natural balance in the vineyard, and hand-harvesting is vital in the selection of healthy bunches. In the cellar, protective handling, no pressings in the blend and improved complexity and richer textures through yeast strains and the use of older barrels are among techniques chosen by winemakers for greater purity and elegance.

In the new Riesling canon, there is room for the more overtly ‘European style’ of pristine, austere, mineral and bone-dry wines and, equally valid in its own way, the more obviously Australian examples that are generously fruited and richly textured.

South Australia may continue to dominate in the production of quality Riesling, but the challenge is on for greater diversity of location for high-quality examples. In Western Australia, Frankland River, Porongurup and Mount Barker all show excellent potential for the variety, while Derwent Valley, Coal River Valley and Pipers River in Tasmania offer yet further locations whose naturally cool, maritime conditions suggest an increasingly diverse and exciting future for Australian Riesling.