Wine Club: Pewsey Vale Riesling cuttings from 19th century German clones add to a distinct flavor profile

Served with Netflix on a Wednesday night is not your typical fine wine pairing. But, for many of us, that’s more mundane than accompanying a main course of trevallies dressed in yuzu, kohlrabi and wakame at the hippest restaurant in town. After the usual dilemma of streaming platform too many choices, we settled on Untold – The Race of the Century, a suspenseful account of the 1983 America’s Cup journey, starring the Australia II team. positioned as the inspiration, tough graft, have-a-go heroes, overcoming the pretentious, overconfident, but ultimately cunning champions of 132-year-old America and the New York Yacht Club. It resonated.

My go-to wine to accompany this dignified doco is also part of Australian folklore and comes from a vineyard first planted in 1847. Likewise, this vineyard and the Australian wine industry share a history of unlikely success in the face of a Eurocentric established and famous. Culture. The vineyard is Pewsey Vale in the Valley of Eden. Rave reviews from the London Medical Times of 1864 and the Paris Exhibition of 1867 attest to the first strikes against the old guard. Unfortunately, following its first successes, the vineyard fell into ruin because the market for table wines was limited. Fortunately, in 1961 it was replanted and eventually purchased by the Hill-Smith family of Yalumba fame.

Perched high in the Eden Valley, Pewsey Vale is 66 hectares dedicated solely to Riesling. In parts it has distant views of its warm neighbor Barossa far below. Its exposed and elevated position allows cool nights all year round. Remarkably, it is almost entirely planted with cuttings taken from the original 19th century clones of Rheingau in Germany, which adds to the unique and distinct flavor profile of these wines.

Unlike most modern vineyards, instead of straight rows, large sections of the vineyard are planted in curves along the contours of the land. The initial objective was to limit the runoff of water and soil on the slope, but as it is managed today, with plant cover between the vines and more than 10 years of organic and biodynamic protocols, this scheme is redundant and reminiscent of the rapid and progressive evolution of Australian vineyard management.

A word on riesling for the doubters: this writer’s position remains that Australian dry riesling is one of the greatest wines we produce and, importantly, with our warm outdoor conditions, it is among the best alcoholic beverages the most refreshing and intensely lemony flavors you can indulge yourself with. Some newcomers to the Riesling cult find its vibrant acidity a bit overwhelming. If this is your case, these wines, in particular, are a great place to learn to love Riesling because they have the curious property of a very low ph but a flavor profile that doesn’t taste too acidic. Instead, they have a certain softness and roundness.

In November, the Pewsey Vale Vineyard celebrates 175 years since the first plantings. As we revise our history and reinvent our agriculture, this is truly a golden age for Australian wine. We are no longer brave runners, we are contenders.

The results of international exhibitions and the widespread recognition of international critics suggest that we should no longer think of ourselves as the outsiders.

Pewsey Vale 2022 Estate Riesling, Eden Valley, SA, MSRP $26

Pungent lemon, lime and musky white flowers – peonies and lilies.

Filled with citrus peel and lime zest. Dry in taste with a rounded mid-weight texture. Bright and refreshing but not very acidic. Supple and soft finish. 91/100

Pewsey Vale 2021 1961 Block 2021 Riesling. RRP $35

Please indulge in the somewhat hackneyed metaphor…this wine has that classic ‘mountain mineral freshness thing‘ in progress, then sprinkle with lemon essence, kaffir lime and a little sage. The mouthfeel is a lightly powdery texture cleansed with acid tension and tangy dryness. Drinks well now, but will age easily for a decade.

95/100

Pewsey Vale 2012 (Museum Release) The Contours Riesling, Eden Valley, SA, RRP $50

With age, Riesling can reach heights of complexity and balance that few wines achieve. This one is at its zenith. The lemony acidity gives way to more evolved flavors of lime marmalade, toasted almonds, dried flowers and honey.

Vigorous, tangy and fresh with a richness that only ageing. A beautiful wine, fluid and complete. 97/100