The best encore of all – Lethbridge’s Dr Nadeson Riesling returns
This wine wasn’t meant to come back.
A few years back the owners of the Barrett vineyard in Portland, Victoria, decided to retire from the grapegrowing business. From what I gather they had they had no one to pass the vineyard on to, so simply let it go, a decision that ultimately effectively retired Lethbridge’s Dr Nadeson Riesling (sourced exclusively from this 30 year old Henty vineyard) in the process.
Judging by how good this, I’m glad he did.
Lethbridge Dr Nadeson Riesling 2013
It took a little work out whether I liked this or not, which probably means it will be a polarising wine. That’s entirely ok though. What this wine is, however, is one of the more successful of attempts at our own Grosses Gewachs – a special, dryish (not bone dry, this still has 10g/L of residual sugar at least by my guess) Riesling from a very special site.
The key, of course, is balance, which means in this case a contrast between driving, sparkling fresh grapefruit acidity, underlying grapefruit, a dash of sherbet, some early bottle maturation honey and just a hint of ripe mango/peach fruit, all topped off with some yeast funk (hazarding a guess that this spent some time in old wood or at least on lees).
What these alternating layers of fruit/acid make for is a wine that dips and turns and changes – a living, breathing, utterly human wine of sweetness, acid, extraordinary length and the odd flavour that seems a bit wrong, ultimately presenting you with a drink that you want to go back to. Technically it’s not flawless, but charisma-wise it’s hard not really dig a wine like this, and I think it would hold it’s own, intensity-wise, with many a German GG equivalent.
Yes.
Details: 11%, Screwcap, $30
Tasted: March 2015, Sample
Best drinking: 2015-2023
Score: 18.5/20, 94/100
Would I buy it? I’d be tempted. Would be great to see this again in 3 years time..,
Buy online: Lethbridge website
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