Wednesday, September 23, 2009

GROSSET SPRINGVALE WATERVALE RIESLING 2009

 - Clare Valley, SA
 - $31-$50
 - Screwcap
 - 12.5%alc

In honour of its vineyard source and to further distinguish it from the growing number of Watervale rieslings available, Jeffrey Grosset renamed his iconic Watervale Riesling the Springvale from 2007. Grosset tries to avoid apple characters in his Springvale, opting to seek out the more floral, lemon/lime citrus notes which so define the Watervale style. No one would question the great man's success.

The 2009 revels in its stylishly presented, floral lemon/lime citrus perfume, which seems a touch youthful, shy and closed, but its ripeness is perfectly pitched for such a challenging season. Its bell-clear palate reveals yet more definitive citrus flavours, this time pushing closer to the steely lemon side of things in classic Watervale style. With drying undertones of mineral and slate, it extends with great length, strength and tightness, into a sculpted finish scored by a bracing influence of steely acids.

üPicking a preference between Grosset's two 2009 rieslings is nigh on impossible, it's simply a matter of personal taste. Both wines perfectly reflect their sub-regional qualities to a tee. I think you get more bang for your buck from the 2009 Springvale though, whose impressive structural elements should see it age slowly but surely, across a slightly longer time frame than the Polish Hill. Drink to 2021.
95 points


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