Oak Valley Stone & Steel Riesling 2018
Another day, another Riesling...that sounds like a perfect day to me!
The Wine:
Sweet white peach and litchi aromas lead to bright lime and green apple on the palate. Off-dry, lighter bodied than most Riesling, fruity, bright and refreshing. I’d be curious to see if this could benefit from ageing?
Conclusion:
Balance (1) + Length (1) + Intensity (1) + Complexity (0) = A good wine.
Can be drunk now, but suitable for further ageing.
Viti + Vini:
Harvested from a tiny block that was planted 460m above sea level in 2004, and grafted to Riesling in 2011. The yields are low due to shallow soils and strong north-westerly winds in spring. I kinda like that they describe their vineyards as ‘looking like a bad hair day, because the large canopies keep the bunches shaded to delay ripening and add character’.
Final Thoughts:
When Oak Valley was first purchased, plans were underway to build a pioneering railway from Sir Lowry’s Pass to Caledon - the steel tracks carved through the solid stone rock and finally connected Elgin, a beautiful area renowned for agriculture. The beautiful watercolour label depicts the locomotive journey - that you can still experience today.
