Fruit shines through Aussie Rieslings

Australian white wine makers, perhaps better known for making sauvignon blancs and chardonnays, are marketing Riesling wines in this country that exhibit some taste appeal.

Australians manipulate their Rieslings quite a bit. The soil differences between Australia and Alsace make for a considerable difference in taste, structure and style of the wine.

Rieslings from Australia also tend to be hotter, because of the alcohol, than their Alsatian cousins.

I asked the wine-tasting group to compare five Rieslings from down under that cost less than $20. Here is what we found:

- 2003 Plantagenet Riesling, Mount Barker at $13.99. This wine had a dusty, flinty aroma that reminded us of oil and minerals. Lemon was the dominant fruit. It tasted almost spritzy in the mouth, with bright acids and a very tart finish. The tasters recommended it be drunk with seafood or poached sole with lemon.

- 2001 Leeuwin Estate Riesling, Art Series at $19.99. This aroma had definite petrol overtones, almost like walking into a freshly painted room. The paint was ultimately replaced by pineapple. On the palate, the Leeuwin had nice lemon flavors and good acids.

- 2002 Pikes Clare Valley Riesling at $17.99. This wine had an oily aroma but not nearly as strong as the other two, with toast and apple emerging from behind the minerals. In the mouth, it had the most fruit and the longest finish of the five. It was mouthwatering but not too sour. It tied for first in our tasting.

- 2003 Jacob's Creek Reserve Riesling at $13.99. Jacob's Creek is a large producer from South Australia that makes good value wines in this price range. This wine had green fruit and a peppery zing to it. It was very much like the Pikes Clare Valley but with more acidity and tartness. The Jacob's Creek almost exploded in the mouth. It tied for first.

- 2003 Wolf Blass Gold Label Riesling at $13.99. The Wolf Blass had a soft aroma of papaya, coconut and tropical fruit. It was spritzy in the mouth with more tropical fruit. Its texture was creamier than the others because it was lower in acidity.

Surfing the wine shelves:

- 2001 Kenwood Jack London Merlot at $24. This wine had bright cherry flavors with hints of spice and oaking. The texture was silky.

- 2001 Mettler Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon at $26. The Mettler had a nice aroma of black currants, black cherries, chocolate and oak. The wine filled the mouth with good balance.

- 2002 Hope Estate Shiraz at $13.99. This aroma offered a nice combination of cloves and plums, with a hint of chocolate and a slight earthiness or meatiness. In the mouth, it was less fruity than many shiraz wines, but it was lively and spicy, with many layers of flavors for a wine in this price range.

- 2000 Cecchi Morelino di Scansano Riserva at $19. This wine was 100 percent sangiovese. It had an aroma of dark cherries and earth, with hints of vanilla. It had a medium body that would stand up well to red meat or game.

- 2002 Hess Collection Chardonnay at $18. This wine had a complex aroma of honeysuckle, butter, pear and citrus fruit. In the mouth, it was full bodied with buttery flavors backed up by a little bit of toast, figs and apricots.

- 2000 Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon at $34.50. The aroma offered dark fruit, toast, vanilla and cedar with a hint of chocolate. On the palate we tasted black currants, blueberries and clove.

- 2002 Meridian Reserve Chardonnay at $16. We discovered pineapple and other tropical fruit in the aroma. The Meridian had a rich, round mouth feel, tasting of pears and vanilla. It had a creamy finish.

Questions may be sent to Frank Sutherland, editor, The Tennessean, 1100 Broadway, Nashville 37203, or e-mailed to editor@tennessean.com.