Sevenhill Cellars, Tim Adams & O'Leary Walker Riesling

The rizza files 

 

My wife is drinking a lot of Rizza at the moment. In fact she went off to the Clare Valley today for a working week-end. She is filming in the area but I’m sure she will be opening a whole raft of these.  

 

O’Leary Walker Watervale Riesling 2014 

 

Really easy winemaking on this wine. Pick grapes tick. De-stem grapes tick. Press grapes tick. Juice chilled tick. Racked off solids tick. Fermented tick. Straight to bottle tick. Really what more could be done to express pure Riesling goodness? This has beautiful line and length with masses of crushed flowers, lime and lemon with tightness on the palate just drawing it all together.  

 

Alcohol: 12% 

Price: $20 but could get it cheaper 

Rated: 88 

Drink: Now – 2025 

 

 

Get your teeth around this one 

 

Tim Adams Riesling 2014 

 

This has more flavour and a great er acid line than the above wine and as a result is a bit better. That said they are both batting way above their weight. This wine has lemons and lime with orange zest and spring blossom. These flavours are perched on an extremely long palate that is just bursting at the seams with acidity. It is more like exploding and I just imagine the Monty Python skit where Mr Creosote is at a restaurant eating himself silly and they offer him an after diner mint and he blows up. I’m not sure how I link Mr Creosote to this wine but my mind is a little warped.  

Alcohol: 11.5% 

Price: $20 

Rated: 90 

Drink; Now - 2027 

 

 

Made in the same way as the above two wines but from a different vintage.  

 

Sevenhill Cellars Inigo Riesling 2013 

 

Nice typical flavours but a little short and narrow. This could be starting to shut down but I don’t think so, nor did it improve over the course of three days.  

 

Alcohol:  

Price: $17 

Rated: 85 

Drin: Now – 2017 

 

Stefano Lubiana Estate Chardonnay 2012

If Elvis was a wine he would be Chardonnay as he is the king. He went off beat for a little bit and was too fat but boy does he have swagger and a little sexiness.  

 

Stefano Lubiana Estate Chardonnay 2012 

 

This is a big boy but it does take a day before it starts really showing its stuff. The wine is all figs and roasted nuts with a touch of fennel, lime skin and spice. The winemaking hand is done really well as it is felt but never does the touch dominate. A baller of a wine and one to show around.

 

Alcohol: 14% 

Price: $48 

Rated: 92 + 

Drink: 2016 – 2024 

 

Redbank Wines Fiano 2014

Redbank winery is located in King Valley which is where so many Italians have set up camp. The two vineyards that this winery has are both set up at high altitude and are planted to a variety of French and Italian grape varieties.  

 

Redbank Wines Fiano 2014 

 

I love Fiano and drink a fair bit of it at home. The variety, generally, can offer texture and mouth-watering acidity. This wine is made in a lighter style but I guess that would be the case considering where it came from. On the nose there is fresh cut herbs, lemon sherbet and pear with a hint of honey blossom thrown in. The mouth feel offers a little texture which adds interest before some melon goodness attacks and then lightness takes over. All in all, a wondrous Fiano ride and a good introduction to the variety. 

 

Alcohol: 13% 
Price: $22 

Rated: 90 

Drink: Now – 2022 

 

Wirra Wirra Original Blend 2014

More wine should be made in this medium bodied style as it fits with the Australian way of like and food choices.  

 

Wirra Wirra Original Blend 2014 

 

I get the feeling that Wirra Wirra is going to be putting out some spectacular wines from 2014. This wine is a blend of Grenache and Shiraz with a nice musty flavour with musk sticks and blueberries but it isn’t sweet as such. This is more savoury with flavours that could be sweet if they sat on the vine longer. This wine is medium bodied and has a nice line of acidity inserted up it bum. This makes it stand to attention and walk around with perk. This wine is highly drinkable and I was only able to review it over one night as a result. Whoops. 

 

Alcohol: 14.5% 

Price: $25 

Rated: 89 

Drink: Now – 2021 

 

Bird in Hand Joy 2007

It is great to see more wineries really trying to produce a top quality sparkling. The Bird in hand Joy is made from Pinot Noir and is fermented in stainless steel tanks for 6 months before bottle secondary fermentation for 3 years.  

 

Bird in the Hand Joy 2007 

 

The first thing I notice is the lovely bead that this wine has with flavours of cherry syrup and strawberry creams coming to the fore. These flavours continue on the palate with a creaminess and thickness in action. The wine is ready to go and works well ,all be it in a more is more style.  

 

Alcohol: 13% 

Price: $75 

Rated: 90 

Drink: Now 

 

 

Lovely packaging!