While I taste blind, I am mindful of trying to put the wines into brackets that are either similarly dry, or sweet, then ascending from bone dry to lusciously sweet.
Tasting a dry wine immediately after a relatively sweet one can be hard for one’s palate to adjust to, while making the dry wine look unnecessarily searing and hard.
On top of that is the difficulty of one’s prejudices: I love Riesling in all its guises, but the off to medium-dry wines are favourites.
Retaining one’s objectivity in the face of such subjectivity takes some work.
My erstwhile tasting buddies were rather less enamoured with the drier wines, being less forgiving of the acidity, whereas I found wines that rang my bells across the spectrum.
Price RRP $47.50
Rating Excellent to Outstanding
Fragrant, white flowers, really floral with the fruit ever so nicely in support, a wisp of nectarine perhaps.
Real depth of flavour and textural richness, almost silky on the front palate before that core of acidity drives this to a long, long, spicy finish.
Mandarin and grapefruit join the mix, good structure and youthful tautness.
Food will be a great foil to that acidity.
Price RRP $34
Rating Very Good to Excellent
Perfumed, green and red apple, wisps of hard candy and sherbet.
Nicely balanced, lemon zest and grapefruit notes lead the way, apple in support, an aspect of fruit sweetness yet this travels to a fresh, dry finish with good length.
The florality grows on the nose, while the palate develops an almost sour worms, zesty quality that really works yet is crying out for food.
Price RRP $32
Rating Excellent
The nose gives an impression of richness, musk and grape, a stony quality.
Quite a fat palate, red apple, apricot and stone fruit notes reminiscent of pinot gris all vying for attention, dry honey, fruit richness and ripeness yet closing relatively dry.
That musky note from the nose reappears on the palate adding to the flavour depth, providing a lovely counterpoint.
Price RRP $38
Rating Excellent
A riper, sweeter fruited expression, melding peach, apricot and apple nuances, hints of florality too.
Lime cordial, ripe apple, appealing texture, a little fruit pith adding grip, lots of flavour on offer.
The action takes place with the acid/sugar balance, a racy line of acidity bringing brightness and refreshment to the off-dry close that has great carry.
Price RRP $62
Rating Excellent
Lightly honeyed nose, toasted nuts, hints of stonefruits, apricot.
Sumptuousness and generosity, brimming with flavour and honeyed richness before the zesty acidity brings this to a medium-dry close. Juicy and engaging.
Having given a glimpse of its secrets, aeration sees it more coy, pulling back the covers somewhat, all about the potential.
Price RRP $47.50
Rating Outstanding
Lemon curd, comb honey, flower petal florality, red apple and citrus.
Honeyed sweetness sets the tone before the acidity bounds in bringing real tension and wonderful freshness.
Beautiful balance and energy, the palate intense and complex with amazing depth and length.
Now stonefruits join the mix, already wonderful drinkability yet very clear potential too.
