Between Five Bells White 2013

Between Five Bells Geelong White 2013 

‘For no other reason than to be delicious’.

That’s the catchtag on David Fesq and team’s Between Five Bells wines, but that’s selling things very short. For these are thoughtful, creative wines.

Look at the labelling for a start. I’ve banged on about them numerous times before but it deserves a mention again. These are a wine geeks wet dream.

This white is a blender/tinkerers dream too. Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Pinot Meunier that was whole bunch pressed into old oak, with everything going through full malo and left to do its thing. No additions. No adjustments. No control.

You can see, smell and taste that (passionate) neglect; with a light bronze colour over a nose of hay, vanilla rice custard with some of the furriness of a little judicious skin contact and minimal anything. Yet, while it sounds round and full, everything is outlined by blazing (TA 11.4!!!) acidity, making for a wine that bounces from sulphide funk, to Chardonnay white nectarine and pear Gris before then walloped by acid.

Ultimately this is beyond just ‘being’ delicious, it’s a bit of wine artistry, carrying plenty of oddity and yet still with that tang to bring you back. Provocative wine, yet without dipping quite over into the orange/natural end of the spectrum.

I like it, but served it to a room of drinkers who often struggled with the ultra dry/textural ‘weirdness’.