When people think of the isolated extremely southerly South Australian region of Coonawarra and talk about its wines they almost automatically turn their attention to its superb reds … to wines made principally from cabernet sauvignon and shiraz.
And quite rightly too. They are superb drinking on release and have the ability to live for many years with sympathetic cellaring.
Yet one of my favourite wines from the district — Wynns Coonawarra Riesling — is a dry white.
It was fashioned by the great Peter Douglas when he was the estate’s chief winemaker in the 1980s and there have been many examples since then of the wine’s pristine, quite ethereal beauty.
I was reminded of the great Douglas rieslings when I recently tasted the Di Giorgio 2018 Riesling (a steal at about $19) from Kongorong, near Mount Gambier and a few clicks to the south-west of Coonawarra.
I shouldn’t have been surprised, because it too was made by Peter Douglas, who these days works on a consultancy basis for a number of Coonawarra and nearby wineries.
It’s floral and zestily citric, crisp and crunchy. In short, it’s a very attractive young white with, I think, quite a cellaring future.
It’s a pity few bottles will realise the excellence of that future. No, it’s not a pity really, because they will have furnished so much pleasure, like mine did, in the meanwhile.
WINE REVIEWS
Di Giorgio 2017 Chardonnay ($26): made by Peter Douglas from the Di Giorgio family’s Coonawarra vineyards, this is another dry white with an excellent flavour profile. Complexity has been added by fermentation in French oak (40 per cent of it new), then maturation in the same barrels, with regular stirring of yeast lees, for nine months afterwards. This is quite a robust, full-flavoured white. I love it.
Di Giorgio 2016 Sparkling Merlot ($26): this sparkling red has been upgraded in the Di Giorgio hierarchy with this vintage, and it clearly shows why the style has gained such a foothold in this country. The wine has a lovely soft mousse (fizziness) that just invites second and third glasses, even if you know you’ll be easy prey afterwards. An excellent use for merlot and good drinking with many red-meat dishes.
BEER OF THE WEEK
Coopers 2018 Seasonal-Release Vintage Ale (about $5/335ml in a six-pack): this substantial 7.5 per cent alcohol vintage drop is the 20th annual release from the family owned South Australian brewery. It’s made from Kangaroo Island malt and aromatic aramis hops imported from Alsace. This is a beer for cellaring, with the pronounced bitterness apparently fading over time. Drink with a good steak and convivial company.
Written By JOHN ROZENTALS
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