The Wines

Riesling 2009 Selection

The inaugural vintage of the Auburn Rieslings, with two wines; the single vineyard, subregional “Lowburn” and the later harvest “Twilight”.

Riesling 2010 Selection - due November

Tasting Notes

2009 Auburn Lowburn Riesling

Sourced from 16yo vines in the subregion of Lowburn. Clean fruit, no botrytis, gently whole-bunch pressed. Lightly settled in tank, racked off solids and fermented cool.

Bottled October 2009. Alcohol 9.0%, pH 3.03, TA 8.2g/L, RS 31g/L. Production 760 bottles. Floral and fruit-driven, particularly apricot/peach and lemon/lime. The palate echoes the nose, with a taut, youthful backbone of acidity that complements the residual sweetness.

Finely textured, the structure leads to a long, precise finish. It will take six months in bottle before this wine truly integrates and from then, enjoy and cellar at your leisure. $28

2009 Auburn Twilight Riesling [SOLD OUT]

Sourced from 16yo vines in the subregion of Lowburn. Combination of clean and botrytis fruit, gently whole-bunch pressed and returned to press to soak overnight. Lightly settled in tank, racked off solids and fermented very cool.

Bottled October 2009. Alcohol 10.0%, pH 3.21, TA 7.7g/L, RS 28g/L. Production 242 bottles. Aromatic and lifted, there is a combination of stonefruit and citrus on the nose, leading to exotic spice notes. Lots of viscosity and honey notes, finishing surprisingly dry.

This is an interesting wine, an example of a spatlese trocken (fruit harvested sweet, made dry) that we initially planned as a dessert wine, but the microbes had other ideas. This is not a stereotypical Riesling and a wine that we will only make in certain years.

Best enjoyed as an aperitif or even with roast pork. $28

Select the region below to learn more about future Auburn Riesling sites...

Gibbston – Cool with more rainfall than its neighbours (600mm MAR). Higher altitude sites on loess soils over alluvium.

Bannockburn – Dry (320mm MAR) and hot, intensively planted with varying depths of loess over schist rock and gravel.

Cromwell – Moderate rainfall (400mm MAR). More daylight hours, more exposed, susceptible to frost and located on heavier alluvial soils.

Lowburn – Moderate rainfall (380mm MAR) and quite warm with soils a little heavier; loess over schist gravels.

Northburn – Slight western aspect and low-moderate rainfall (360mm MAR). Loess soils over gravels.

Bendigo – The youngest region with a low-moderate rainfall (360mm MAR). Located in a heat trap with a mixture of clays and loess over schist gravels.

Alexandra – The most southern region with the lowest rainfall (270mm MAR). Highly susceptible to frost, with sandy, alluvial soils.

(click an area on the map to see the description above)