Best's Great Western Riesling 2018
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Wine
Enthusiast -
Robert
Parker
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Winemaker Notes
The Rieslings of Best’s have a proven ability to mature gracefully for 20 years or more. This example is no exception and its youthful freshness is a good sign for its long life in the cellar. It will gather complex toasty aromas and flavors as the years pass.
Enjoy with fish and chips by the sea in summer or a spicy fish curry by a fire in winter.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Best's rugged location in the Grampian ranges of western Victoria is as far from the hot, dry desert image of Oz as it gets. Combine the region's wet, cool climate with a unique and historic winery, and the results are generally excellent. This Riesling is young and austere but promises great things for the future. A slight petrol note on the nose is quickly followed by delicate honeyed nuts, bright lemon-lime, lavender and dried green herbs. The palate is a tightrope walk of pristine acidity, slippery texture and bright fruit. Drink 2021–2030, at least.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Scents of crushed stone, lemon and lime zest and hints of green apple permeate the nose of the 2018 Riesling. It's a lean, racy wine, light to medium-bodied, weighing in at 11% alcohol, yet with presence, concentrated fruit flavors and length, which shows how irrelevant numbers can sometimes be. Like many of the world's fine Rieslings, it should drink well over a broad range of years—at least through 2030.
Other Vintages
2021-
James
Suckling
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James
Suckling
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James
Suckling
The first grapes were planted at Great Western during the 1850s as the gold mining boom receded and people looked for a more permanent means of livelihood. Vineyards planted in 1867 include grape varieties so rare that several have defied all attempts at identification and are, in all probability, the sole surviving examples in the world.
Grampians has enjoyed a long history of viticulture dominated by production of red wines of longevity, elegance and power. Silky smooth Shiraz with flavors and aromas of red cherry, plum, spice and pepper is typical of the regional style.
Best’s Great Western is recognized internationally for the outstanding quality of their Shiraz.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
Nestled into the tip of its southeastern coastline, Victoria is Australia’s smallest mainland state, second most populous and third largest wine producer. Victoria includes the cool regions of Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Geelong, made famous mainly by impressive Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The more inland Heathcote and Bendigo lead the way for complex and textured, full-bodied reds. Rutherglen’s fortified wines compete among the best on the planet.