A few years ago, a wine fanatic Max Marriot burst on the
Central Otago wine scene by releasing a set of bottlings of Rieslings that were
sourced from grapes from different sub-regions.
It’s not unusual to see such intended approach in Germany, where, say a
Mosel producer will have parcels of vines in different sites in different
villages.
But Max was the first to do so
on a decent scale in this country, where very few winemakers had done o with
other suitable varieties, especially Pinot Noir.
SWMBO and I both love Riesling wines,
especially from the Mosel, so to follow the Auburn wines from Max was very
easy.
The Auburn Central Otago Rieslings
are in the Kabinett/Spatlese style, the former if you take into account the
fruit-sweet styles of now, or the latter if you think of wines from two plus
decades ago.
The prominent feature in
either case is that the resulting wines are deliciously ravishing.
Max has stopped making the wines now, as he
has moved away.
We purchased the set of
2012 vintage wines, and we had the opportunity of tasting them together.
The 2012 Auburn
‘Northburn’ Central Otago Riesling is 11.0% alc. and 36 g/L RS. When we first tasted this it was the more
austere of the set. Although next-door
to Bendigo, the wines have never been as ‘hot’ in interest and style. At that time, I like the wine, but it was
surpassed by the others. With a little
bottle-age, it has developed beautifully, into perfect proportions. Medium in sweetness, the acidity is poised, and
the taste of development not advanced at all.
The 2012 Auburn ‘Lowburn’ Central
Otago Riesling was a richer wine tasted earlier on. It had more honey and fruit sweetness, and
even some funkiness along with minerality.
A little lower in alcohol at 10.5% and with more RS at 45 g/L. It still tasted that way in all respects, but
the kero development was a little more than the Northburn. Now it had a complexing sweet and sour edge,
which detracted a touch, but not in any way to take away from the ravishing
nature.
Then onto the warmer regions.
Does warmer growing not only result in richer
fruit but also less acid poise?
Do the
wines develop more quickly?
It usually
is the case.
The
2012 Auburn ‘Bannockburn’ Central Otago Riesling was certainly more
honied
And it was the case now, with
the riper tropical and exotic fruit edge, along with more fulsome body.
And yes, some kero secondary development, on
par with Lowburn wine, but without the sweet and sour.
Absolutely delicious.
The 11.0% alc. was paired with 34 g/L RS,
less than the previous wines, but intriguingly sweet and richer overall.
The
2012
Auburn ‘Bendigo’ Central Otago Riesling came highly recommended.
(Some wine reviewer had rated it 20/20.)
And it certainly delivered layers of exotic
fruit, honied richness, toasty and kero complexity and great depth, drive and
line.
I suppose multi-dimensional may be
a bit overboard, but multi-faceted is applicable.
The overarching character was its
deliciousness and opulence, while retaining a line of freshness and cut.
It was the least in alcohol at 9.5%, and the
highest in sweetness at 62 g/L RS.
Verging on the Auslese scale for us.
Postscript: We had Shaunie call around for an impromptu
visit.
He’s a bit of a hospitality veteran
and also a wine lover, of course.
SWMBO
felt it obligatory to open another one of the Max Marriot wines, the
2012 Auburn ‘Aura’ Central Otago Riesling.
Made in what Max would definitely put into
the Auslese category, the fruit from Bannockburn, and fermented to 10.5% alc.
and 72 g/L RS.
In reality not too far
removed from the Bendigo bottling.
This
was less rich, luscious and opulent, but with more kero purity, drive,
intensity and depth.
Still sweet, but
not seemingly so as the Bendigo wine.
Yet
the concentration and sheer compactness far more defined than the Bannockburn
bottling described above.
What amazing
diversity in these wines.
SWMBO and I
have more bottles of each of these, so we can see them again, further down the
track.
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