Cascabel Eden Valley Riesling 2012 (Eden Valley, SA)
11.5%, Screwcap, $20
Source: Sample
www.cascabelwinery.com.au

Producing modern Eden Valley Riesling seems to be trickier than it looks. Theoretically it is all about pouring way too many hours into the vineyard, picking the fruit perfectly ripe, then crushing and pressing the grapes and then fermenting the free run juice (maybe leave it on lees in tank to gain complexity).

A simple formula, yet also a tricky one too. Do you leave a little residual? Use aromatic yeasts and pick up some gold medals? Such decisions may seem trivial yet I do think this is a wine style in flux, the mainstream, reductive, bone-dry, early-picked style just not as enjoyable to drink as I want it to be.

I don’t mean to use this wine as the dartboard for such a little rant, but I did struggle more than I’d like to actually want to drink it, even though its technically perfect (and deserves a fair score because of it). Tricky.

Anyways this tastes very dry and neutral, the only thing escaping is the barest hint of grapefruit. The palate is clean, light and all too close to acidity water, saved by the odd suggestion of floral fruit to come. Acidity is not hard, so this looks to have been not unripe, though it doesn’t satisfy either.

A tricky wine to rate perhaps, particularly as it is still so backward. Will it come out?

Drink: 2014-2018+
Score: 16.8/20 89/100
Would I buy it? Not at the moment. But in years to come?