Plentiful Fruit
Showing restrained oak and fresh flavors, Australia's white wines are perfect for the table
The white wines of Australia offer abundant fruit and enough mouthwatering acidity to keep things in balance. That gives the Chardonnays a distinctive lift and plays to the strengths of fruit-centered grapes such as Riesling, which the Aussies make in a dry, steely style, and Viognier, which can be as fragrant as a peach orchard.
The best wines in all three categories add extra nuances and show specific regional character. And many of the better bottlings are also value-priced. The trick is finding them.
Of the more than 200 Australian white wines we have reviewed since our last report ("Riesling Takes the Lead," Dec. 15, 2007), nearly 60 received outstanding ratings (90 or more points on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale), with the top 15 Chardonnays costing an average of $56 a bottle and the top 13 Rieslings and Viogniers an average of $24. Yet the dozen highest-scoring wines in this report average fewer than 200 cases imported to the United States, making them difficult to track down.
Fortunately, there are 11 outstanding whites imported in quantities of more than 1,000 cases each. These include the silky De Bortoli Viognier Yarra Valley Estate Grown 2007 (91 points, $27), full of fruit and spice; the St. Hallett Riesling Eden Valley 2007 (91, $16), offering a long, tangy finish; and the bright Cape Mentelle Chardonnay Margaret River 2006 (90, $25), a lively companion for seafood dishes.
Among more widely available wines—those imported in quantities of 10,000 cases or more—several Chardonnays from big wineries qualify as eye-opening values. Check out the finely balanced McWilliam's South Eastern Australia Hanwood Estate 2006 (89, $12), the light and spicy Wolf Blass South Australia Yellow Label 2006 (88, $13), the polished Greg Norman Estates Eden Valley 2007 (88, $13) and the delicate Penfolds Adelaide Thomas Hyland 2007 (87, $13).
Riesling continues to excel in Australia. The Grosset Riesling Clare Valley Polish Hill 2007 (93, $46) is steely and seductive, delivering layers of lemon, lime, mineral and floral notes that keep welling up as the dry finish persists. And even the bargain-priced Leasingham Riesling Clare Valley Magnus 2007 (91, $12) presents a joyous mouthful of lemon curd, quince and lime on a steely frame, with harmony and seamless structure.
To get an idea of how well Aussie Rieslings can age—they are often best at five to 10 years—try to get your hands on the Pewsey Vale Riesling Eden Valley The Contours Museum Reserve 2003 (92, $28). The wine is dry and fragrant, showing a tart edge to its gooseberry and green apple flavors and finishing lively, polished and expressive.
Among the Viogniers, Yalumba remains the leader, at several price levels. The Virgilius 2007 (92, $40) corrals the grape's sunny character into a manageable level of intensity that shows off the floral, apple, quince and nectarine flavors beautifully. The Eden Valley 2007 (91, $19) goes more for apricot and pear, while the Organic 2007 (91, $15), a new bottling, hangs pear and lemon curd character on a silky frame. Another wine worth noting is d'Arenberg's Viognier-dominated white blend The Hermit Crab; the 2007 (90, $16) shows the grape's aromatics on a drier, less silky palate.
At the top of the heap again this year—both for Chardonnay in particular and for Australian white wine in general—is the Leeuwin Chardonnay Margaret River Art Series 2005 (95, $89). Offering a juicy hint of grapefruit that plays against spicy pear, green guava and mint aromas and flavors, this round, generous and exquisitely balanced wine demonstrates just how exciting Aussie whites can be. With 500 cases imported to the United States, there's enough to go around, though just barely.
American wine lovers are also divvying up just 750 cases of the Shaw & Smith Chardonnay Adelaide Hills M3 2007 (93, $41). Round, polished and focused, with a minerally edge to its earthy pear and pineapple flavors, this top-tier Chardonnay also reflects a deft hand with oak—all elements strongly reminiscent of Puligny-Montrachet.
This balance is the most encouraging trend about Australian Chardonnay. Not that long ago, the model was either big, bold and frankly oaky or lean and tart but lacking depth. Today, the top Chardonnay producers have learned to split the difference. The best wines, such as the Leeuwin and the Shaw & Smith, display the sort of harmony that weaves together generous fruit, complex nonfruit overtones, vibrant acidity and just enough oak to make things interesting.
That's also true among more widely available wines. Three to look for are the Coldstream Hills Chardonnay Yarra Valley 2006 (90, $19), tight and appealing for its juicy texture and pear, melon and cream aromas and flavors; the vibrant Robert Oatley Chardonnay Mudgee 2007 (90, $18), offering a lively mouthful of orange-accented apple, pear and floral aromas and flavors; and the generous, balanced Vasse Felix Chardonnay Margaret River 2007 (90, $19).
Oatley is the new project from Bob Oatley, the founder of Rosemount Estate, which created the fruit-forward, easy-drinking style that made Australian wines a hit with American consumers in the 1990s. Southcorp swallowed up Rosemount in 2001 and put the Rosemount team in charge. Four years later, Foster's Wine Estates bought out Southcorp.
Now Oatley, a youthful 81, and his original winemaker, Chris Hancock, a sprightly 68, are starting all over again. Along with Oatley's son Sandy, they are focusing on 1,150 acres of vineyards in Mudgee, a region in the Blue Mountains little known outside Australia. The Chardonnay is a perfect example of the vivid character that's possible here. There's also a bright, refreshing Sauvignon Blanc Western Australia 2008 (90, $18) and a zippy Pinot Grigio South Australia 2008 (88, $18).
Several wineries not particularly known for white wine recently made some bottlings worth seeking out. Renowned for its Shiraz, the Clare Valley producer Kilikanoon also has some fine Riesling vineyards, which accounts for the success of its Riesling Watervale Mort's Block 2007 (91, $20), a tangy wine that shows waves of lime, pineapple, grapefruit and slate aromas and flavors.
Eden Valley winery Henschke, another celebrated Shiraz producer, offers a classy Riesling called Julius. The 2007 (90, $30) delivers a lively mouthful of greengage plum, gooseberry and lime flavors. Henschke's lively Sauvignon Blanc Adelaide Hills Coralinga 2007 (90, $27) is compelling for its flavors of pear, grapefruit and mineral and for the generosity of its finish.
Also look for Chardonnays from Kooyong, a Mornington Peninsula winery with a Pinot Noir focus. The estate winery's smooth-textured Farrago 2005 (91, $60) has a zing of lime to balance its toast and caramel flavors.
Australia has not done much with Pinot Gris in the past, but it's developing into a white wine category for casual meals. Often bottled as Pinot Grigio, the Australian style is straightforward, dry and (not surprisingly) fruit-forward, emphasizing the melon and stone fruit flavors of the grape. Good examples, such as the Oatley mentioned above and Yalumba's Pinot Grigio South Australia The Y Series 2008 (87, $13), sneak in some citrus or mineral overtones. And the light, floral Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio South Eastern Australia The Reserve 2007 (85, $11), from the biggest winery in Oz, shows pretty honeydew and lime flavors.
The best white wines from Australia these days do what white wine is supposed to accomplish at the table. They provide a refreshing counterpoint to dinner, while keeping your attention with bright fruit, complex nuances and just the right amount of oak.
Editor at large Harvey Steiman is Wine Spectator's lead taster on the wines of Australia.
