Jacobs Creek Reserve Riesling 2007

Well, this was a find. Usually I would veer away from any white older than 3-4 years for sale in the UAE (except perhaps a super dooper white that is in the temperature controlled cabinet), due to the storage issues - I've had more than a couple of cooked whites from 2009 this year. But, this wine was under stelvin (screw cap), and I know it well - it ages very nicely, and 2007 was a long cool ripening season for the Barossa region where this comes from - making it a good Riesling candidate for a little extra time in bottle. Besides, I was nostalgic for Aussie Riesling, and this was all I could find.

This time I hit the jackpot - kinda. It's a great example of what happens to Riesling when it ages - it's got that slightly resinous/waxy character that many call petrol - but it's not petrol at all. It's hard to describe. In fact, it would be better to compare it to the smell of lemon essential oil as compared to fresh lemon. Imagine that's what's happened to your fresh floral limey riesling. It's more savoury, more concentrated than the real thing, and sitting a little off-tangent. This oily texture and slightly lanolin nose is accompanied by a little toast (from age, definitely not oak).

Then we get into the fruit. It's still there in buckets - mainly lime of course, with the last lingering floral nuance, which will probably disappear over the next year and be replaced by a dried saffron and then hay character, which is already creeping in. Right before the finish you get a saline/mineral hit. The downer with this wine is that the end is a little short. The acid is still darling, but I was kind of hoping that I'd get a little honey and toast to finish me off. That doesn't really happen - heaps of limey essential oil and a whisper of marmalade.

Ah well, you can't have it all. This wine is very cheap for its quality, and I doubt you'll ever find another aged Aussie Riesling on a Dubai shelf. Get in quick - there's not much left (MMI).

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AED 59 + tax
16/20