Description
I tasted the Kanta Riesling 2014 last year and felt that it was just a hint too young, in that dumb phase that Riesling likes to indulge in. 12 months later, this is like a different wine. It has herbal, spice, board, lime, pepper, hints of mint and tea leaf. There is developed Riesling flavours but not too far into the kerosene, more in the biscuit and toast.
Kanta Riesling 2014 is still in a young part of its life, and I can imagine the palate filling out further with more bottle age.
Kanta Riesling Adelaide Hills 2014, and all wines are eligible for at least 5% off any six bottles. And 10% off any 12 bottles. Some wines will be at a more significant discount and not subject to further discounts.
Kanta Riesling is made by Egon Muller, a famous winemaker from one of the great Mosel estates, Weingut Egon Muller. The fruit comes from the Argyle Vineyard, which is located in Echunga, Adelaide Hills. The vineyard is 400masl, and the soils feature ironstone. The Argyle vineyard was originally planted in the 1840s. Kanta Riesling is handpicked, cold-soaked, then fermented with indigenous yeasts. Kanta Riesling is then aged on lees for 6 months, then bottled and aged for another 12 months.
Kanta Riesling is an example of the potential Australian Riesling can reach when made in the old world style.
One of my fondest memories of my first trip to Europe was sitting in the study of Egon Muller at his estate drinking a 1988 Spatlese Trocken from his cellar. It should not be surprising to learn that I was pretty excited by the fact Egon Muller was making Kanta Riesling. Adding to the excitement is that Kanta Riesling is sourced from old vines in the Adelaide Hills. I’ve always felt that Adelaide Hills offers a lot of enjoyment for a Riesling lover.
Kanta Riesling Adelaide Hills 2014 Wine Review
Jamie Goode
Wine Anorak
92 points
“Tight, dry and quite mineral with lovely bright lemon and grapefruit characters. Steely and a bit nervy, this has lovely detail and really good acidity. There’s a citrussy precision to this wine with a hint of herbiness and very bright acidity. Long, mineral finish. This wine has edges and complexity.”
Adelaide Hills
This is a big and varied region. Basically, it stretches from the top of the McLaren Vale all the way to the bottom of the Barossa. This means there is a big scope for climatic conditions. In the central part, where its altitude is quite high, you can get some of the best sites in the world for Sparkling wine. In the slightly warmer parts of the centre, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme, with Riesling, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc worthy of honourable mentions.
Riesling
One of the world’s most noble varieties and known transmitter of terroir. Riesling is an important variety of quality wine production. Although only makes up approximately 4% of the planted area. Find wonderful Riesling in Germany, Austria, Alsace and Australia. They can be as dry as any wine you’ll taste or super sweet and luscious. See more about Riesling here.
Australian Wine
The invasion of “Sunshine in a bottle” put Australian wine on the map. The fruity, easy-going, somewhat samey wines were endearing for a short time. Then the next big thing knocked them off their perch.
This forced producers to increase quality and emphasise the distinctive terroirs of Australia. Of which, there are many. And many more yet to be discovered.
Wine
Wine is the result you get from fermented grape juice. There is proof of wine production dating back 8000 years ago. Fashions, innovations and many other factors have influenced the way wine has evolved over the years.
The wine grape is special. It contains everything you need to make grape wine except for the yeast, which lives on the outside of the skins.
Human inputs can influence the final product, including the viticulture (growing) choices. And the winemaker can shape the wine to a point too.
The best wines of the world often refer to terroir. Terroir is a French term that refers to all the climatic, geological and topographical influences on a specific piece of land. And it is true that neighbouring vineyards, grown identically, can taste noticeably different.
White Wine
It is interesting to know that you can make white wine from almost any grape. The colour comes from the skins, and if there is no contact, there is no colour. White wines tend to be delicate, perfumed, higher in acid and lower in alcohol. It seems for this and many other reasons, it is hard to make an incredibly impressive white wine. But those that have mastered the art are indeed some of the best winemakers in the world.
It is a falsehood to think that white wine does not age as well as red wine. But it is correct that white wine, as a rule, doesn’t age for as long.
The Wine Depository
I, Phil, have been running The Wine Depository since 2011. The Wine Depository exists to make sure you are drinking the good wines. You can browse and pick what is interesting to you. Or you can make contact with me. I’ll make sure you get what you want, to your palate, to your budget and to your door.
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