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| Singlefile Riesling Clever packaging I think |
Singlefile Porongurup Riesling 2011 (Great Southern, WA)
12.3%, Screwcap, $25
Source: Sample
www.singlefilewines.com
I’m in something of a Great Southern frameset at the moment, having worked through a pretty handy little lineup of young and old Rieslings from the region just last week (the notes for which I’ll post soon).
One of the notables that come out of said tasting (which saw the wines separated out by theoretical sub-regions, including Mt Barker, the Porongurups, Frankland River etc) was that, in 2011 particularly, the of wines from the Porongurups stood out for their intrigue. That is they looked particularly special, particularly minerally and particularly unique even in amongst a lineup of celebrated wines. Now I’m well aware that that is a rather sweeping generalisation – and there are no shortage of exceptions – but I couldn’t help but feel the love. The Porongurups love…
Given this context then I was quite excited to crack open this individually packaged Porongurup Riesling. A Riesling that I thought could live up to the standard established a week ago. But it didn’t, well, not quite, and it all came down to a question of acidity.
The problem here – to my tastes – is simply a case of the acidity coming on too hard. Of a wine that carries all the lifted grapefruit florals and direct fruit power that the region does so well, edged with creamy lees character for good measure. Of a palate though that is dry, hard and pithy, the acidity a rapier snap of grapefruit firmness that leaves you feeling just a little beaten and sorry after the wine is gone.
It’s a wine then that is ultimately just too dry, too aggressive and too blunt to be truly convincing. It has all that latent power and grunt to suggest greatness to come, yet also a suggestion that it might not be quite balanced enough to really make for a convincing long term drink.
Ultimately it’s then a tricky wine to rate. It could, for example, come good and I could just be nitpicking, but I’m just not sure enough of the absolute greatness (and I’m not feeling it yet). Still, I’ve got enough waver to realise that this is well worth a look. 16.8/89+
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4 Comments
Porongorup not Porongoups (in the main text), isn't it?
Negative, still Porongurups : http://www.porongurup.com/
Positive. The wine region is called Porongurup http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porongurup,_Western_Australia
Ahh I just thought you were a spelling pedant Anon (and your poorly spelt post confused me). As for Porongurups vs Porongurup I can tell you that both get used, again as witnessed on this page – http://www.porongurup.com/
Off topic perhaps but the Porongurup/s area is a lovely part of the world. Well worth a visit.