The first time I tasted an Australian Riesling, years ago, I was amazed. It was from the Clare Valley, located in the state of South Australia, just north (which should make it warmer in the Southern Hemisphere) of the very warm Barossa Valley.
How could a country that’s so hot produce such a crisp, vibrant Riesling, without a trace of sweetness? The answer is two-fold. One, the whole country is not hot. As Mitchell Taylor, whose family-owned winery and vineyards, are based in the Clare, said: ‘Clare is a cool spot in a hot area because of its elevation.’
And the second is acidification. Just as the French frequently add sugar to the grapes before fermentation to compensate for under ripeness (a technique known as chapitalization), winemakers around the world — including France — are allowed to add acid when heat strips the grapes of their natural acidity.
The judicious addition of acid, usually tartaric, to the grape must just before fermentation allows it to integrate properly into the finished wine.
Taylor, along with other producers in the Clare such as Annie’s Lane, Grosset and Knappstein, makes riveting Rieslings (Taylor’s wines are sold under the Wakefield label in the US and UK because of the preexisting use of the Taylor name).
The 2006 Wakefield Clare Valley Riesling (90 points), which sells for about $17, is an excellent example of the style. Wakefield’s Jaraman Riesling (93 points), which is labeled ‘South Australia’ in the US because some of the fruit comes from neighboring Eden Valley — another great area for Riesling — is even better, with more minerality and a lingering citric finish (about $27).
But producers there risk spoiling the image of Clare Riesling and confusing the consumer by making Rieslings in a softer style for the American market.
Wakefield has made a Clare Riesling under its Promised Land label for export to the US that will not be sold in Australia. True, market research shows repeatedly that the American palate prefers a little residual sugar in wine to soften it — just look at the success of Moet & Chandon’s White Star, a non-Brut Champagne.
But just as Marlborough, New Zealand producers have taken an identifiable style of Sauvignon Blanc and run with it, I think Clare producers should stick to what they make best — clean, bracing Rieslings — and be known around the world for their unique and wonderful style.
If they want to taylor a wine for a particular market, as Moet has done with White Star, they should do that, of course, but not label it a “Clare” Riesling. If they keep Clare Riesling consistent, the rest of the world, just like the Australians, will embrace it.
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