Grosset ‘Springvale’ Watervale Riesling 2005
The 2005 Grosset Watervale Riesling is very much in the mould of previous vintages of this wine – especially those since 2002. Quality is up, however, and this wine is the best since 2002 and at this stage looks to be the equal of that vintage. It has greater intensity and more finesse than most of the Grosset Watervale Rieslings. The 2005 is fragrant with some floral hints and lemony, limey aromas; has intense lemon, lime flavours with underlying minerality; tight structure, before a long finish featuring fine, crisp, drying acidity. Although it is lean (almost austere) and powerful, it is still juicy, generous and fleshy. As usual, many will find it more approachable at a much younger age than the Grosset Polish Hill, and it will improve with medium-term cellaring.
This is the 25th consecutive release of the Grosset Watervale Riesling, this year produced entirely from riesling grown in the Springvale vineyard.
Reviews
Matthew Jukes ‘100 Best Australian Wines’ 2006
Jeff fashions serious Rieslings for his knowing audience. The beautiful 2005 vintage has allowed the Watervale cuvée to show very well in its youth. Buy it – this is GREAT wine.
Grosset, Watervale Riesling 2005 Clare Valley.
Intensely introvert and mineral. Very pure yet full bodied… Very persistent and fine. Racy and pure. Drink 2007-14. 18.5/20 points
Jancis Robinson www.jancisrobinson.com ‘Purple pages’ 6 February 2006
Intensely introvert and mineral. Very pure yet full bodied…Very persistent and fine. Racy and pure. Drink: 2007-14. 18.5/20 points
Ralph Kyte-Powell & Huon Hooke ‘The Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide’ 2007
Grosset Watervale Riesling 2005, PENGUIN BEST RIESLING
…Current release 2005 This is a magical riesling. The haunting fragrance suggests dried flowers, stone-fruit blossoms and minerals; the palate is creamy-textured, flawlessly balanced and precise, with impressive concentration but also supreme delicacy. A delicious array of refined flavours linger on and on…. Quality: 5 glasses. Previous of outstanding vintages: All of them. 96 points
Jeremy Oliver www.onwine.com.au 18 October 2005
A stylish and tightly presented riesling with balance, brightness and focus. Its pristine perfume of lime juice and lemon rind reveals undertones of tropical fruit and stonefruit. Laced with suggestions of melon and peach, its fine, taut and minerally palate is underpinned by fine, powdery phenolics, delivering almost an opulent expression of primary citrus-like flavour. Terrific persistence and chalkiness; a top effort. Drink: 2013-2017+. 96 points
Campbell Mattinson ‘Winefront Monthly’ Edition 37 September 2005
Brilliant length, brilliant regional typicity, aflame with lime and slate and ringing with spices and tropical fruit flourishes and various other exotic temptations. Gorgeously pure and clean and long, ready to rip from now. Drink: 2005-2013. 93 points
CH’NG Poh Tiong ‘Aussie Rules – A Guide to Australian Wine’ (Publisher of The Wine Review, Singapore) 2005
The Watervale Riesling 2005 (4 stars) is softer, a prism of feminine Riesling captured by a soft-lens. There’s minerally, appley and ripe citrus fruit. A touch spicy too…
Jane Faulkner ‘The Age’ Young and pure eat, drink, cook … and be merry 26 November 2005
This is winemaker Jeffrey Grosset’s 25th riesling vintage and it’s a cracker. The Watervale is vibrant and lively with a nose of lime and crunchy apples and pears. Those characters follow through on the palate, building to a tangy crispness with its ultra-fresh lemony acidity finish. All-in-all, a racy wine. Screwcap seal.
Ken Gargett ‘The Courier-Mail’ 3 January 2006
Clare Valley ‘s Bounty
Grosset Watervale Lime blossoms, fragrant, tightly structured with a burst of acidity. Great persistence. A star. 94 points
Huon Hooke ‘Good Living’ 17 January 2006
A very good year
A toss-up between this and Grosset’s Polish Hill, but this thrilled me more on the day. Both are great. The style is a touch more powerful and concentrated than Petaluma . Dried flowers, stone-fruit blossoms; riveting precision and intensity. Another 20 year wine.
Huon Hooke ‘Gourmet Traveller’ Riesling Tide February/March 2006
The Watervale is a little more doughy on the nose, more peach blossom than citrus, very long with bone-dry almost salty finish, like sucking on a pebble. Caillard described it as an aromatic, elegant wine with quartz-like minerality and lovely texture. Both are well worth cellaring for 12-plus years. 92 points
Ben Canaider ‘Delicious Magazine’ March 2006
The best Riesling in South Australia , but the price makes it a wine you only use selfishly, or when you want to intimidate an in-law with a passion for austere whites. It’ll intrigue, and invoke wine conversation; or you could place it in your cellar for 10 years. Then it won’t just intrigue and invoke, but divide the room. Deep lemon/lime blossom fruit when young. Chill well and drink wantonly. Great minerality as we sophistimicated woine drinkers say.
Josh Raynolds ‘Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar’ (USA) July/August 2006
Bright straw. Peach, pear, yellow apple and orange on the nose-serious fruit here-with nervy mineral and fresh herb tones. Fresh, energetic and spicy on the palate, showing an array of citrus and orchard fruit flavors, with impressive brightness and an almost sweet quality to the flavors. Wonderfully broad, but also bright and incisive, finishing on notes of crisp pear and fresh melon. 91 points
