RIESLING: REST OF THE NEW WORLD
2019 Gold 1 Silver 0 Bronze 3 Commended 3
2018 Gold 2 Silver 6 Bronze 1 Commended 1
There’s one key difference between the Australian Rieslings and those from across the Tasman Sea, in particular. While the Aussies have a definitive style, those from New Zealand are, frankly, all over the place: linear, fruity, restrained, flamboyant, bone dry, medium… take your pick.
It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it makes judging them hard, and our tasters found this an awkward flight of wines to judge. In fact, interestingly, the USA and Canada (which picked up the only Gold for Riesling outside Australia) did far better than New Zealand. Maybe the Kiwis should concentrate on Pinot Gris.
FROM THE TASTING TEAMS
‘It’s quite exciting to see other countries doing Riesling in a drier style. The acidity and dryness were generally in good balance here.’ Melody Wong, The Mandrake
‘The off-dry style here is slightly concerning because that’s not what people want in the European market. These lacked balance and precision.’ Christopher Delalonde MS, The Dorchester
‘The ones we liked here were the precise, pure ones. When they tried to introduce texture or sugar it didn’t work quite so well. Sometimes you felt that Riesling wasn’t their speciality, and it’s a tricky grape to get right. It’s almost Pinot-esque in its difficulty to capture.’ Hamish Anderson, team leader
‘New Zealand’s Riesling has the great halo effect of its Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc, so it sells.’ Hamish Anderson, team leader