PV Tasting Notes
The 2002 Hand Picked Riesling has been stored for 5 years by us after the vintage release to demonstrate Riesling’s ability to improve with age. This is made from a selection of the best parcels from a vineyard planted in the 1960s. Light gold-coloured, the wine has developed significant bouquet and flavours. Featuring notes of mineral, spring flowers, honeysuckle, and lemon-lime, this is followed by a wine with impeccable balance, intense flavours, and a lengthy finish. It will drink well for at least another 5-7 years. Last tasted Dec 2008.
Very pale almost bright green in colour, with a delicate flowery perfume of apple and pear. The wine is bright clear and elegant; significantly less sumptuous and fleshy than most Rieslings and made in a seemingly later maturing style. Long, juicy palate bursts with pristine apple, pear and guava flavours and finishes with clean acids. This should develop so well with some bottle age. Tasting Note June 2003.
Independent Review90 points – Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
The outstanding 2002 Hand Picked Riesling from Eden Valley is one of the finest Australian dry Rieslings I have tasted. Crisp, elegant notes of apples, oranges, and citrus oils are offered in a persuasive, clean, authoritatively flavoured style.
90 Points – Steve Tanzer
Pale straw-green. Flowery, lightly spicy aromas of lime juice, apple and pears. Juicy, crunchy fruit flavours finish clean, crisp and long, with tangy mineral acids.
The perfect accompaniment to smoked salmon, sashimi, cheese fondue, and chowders or fish terrine.
Yalumba are developing a range of spectacular wines at extremely competitive prices and their reputation is growing on the world stage, the company has always shown great vision in its selection of new vineyard sites and new varietals. It is a serious player at the top end of quality, with some 940 hectares under vine, mostly planted to mainstream varietals; it has taken ownership of Viognier in Australia. I hope they do not go the way other Australian wineries have by over-cropping their vineyards due to ever increasing demand, better to maintain quality and increase prices, given the current quality of their portfolio, this would not present a problem to me personally.
2002 will be remembered as a textbook vintage for white wine in the Eden Valley. After a windy flowering period, naturally low crops were set. Weather remained mild and dry over a long and even ripening period, with the lowest January temperatures on record experienced. This resulted in healthy vines that produced grapes with high natural acid, concentrated flavour and excellent quality.
Technical Data:
Total Acid 6.7 g/L
pH 2.99
Residual Sugar 2.61 g/L