Earlier this year, Ernie Loosen from Dr Loosen, Germany, Etienne Hugel from Hugel et Fils, Alsace and Peter Barry from Jim Barry, Australia visited Macau to promote the wonderful grape variety that is known as Riesling. Hosted by Italian restaurant Portofino, at the Venetian Macao and organized by Summergate Limited, the tasting event was the first stop for the Riesling Revolution tour that took these three great characters of the wine industry on a tour through China including Xiamen, Chengdu, Shanghai and Beijing.
Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany, and is highly “terroir-expressive”, meaning that the character of Riesling wines is very clearly influenced by the wine’s place of origin. And guests at this event had the pleasure of tasting wines from three very different and distinct styles, regions, terroir and climates.
Formerly an archaeologist and known as the “Indiana Jones of the wine world”, Ernie Loosen has become one of the best white wine makers in the world. In 2005 Decanter Magazine named him ‘Man of the Year’ describing him as “The Riesling King”.
The Dr. Loosen estate has been in the same family for over 200 years with vines averaging 50 years old in the top-rated vineyards of the middle Mosel. The famous Wehlener Sonnenuhr (Wehlener Sundial) vineyard has virtually no topsoil, only broken and weathered shards of the purest blue slate in the Mosel valley. This purity is reflected in the wines, giving much longer life and better balance because of the minerality. Ernie grows vines here that are well over 120 years old and all are on original rootstock.
“Old vines result in higher concentration of richness that adds to the complexity of the wines and should be treasured”, he explains.
Founded in 1639, Hugel & Fils is one of the most famous names in Alsace wine. Hugel pioneered the making of Vendange Tardive (late harvest) wines in Alsace, and also wrote the legislation for the category. Hugel & Fils is a member of the elite international ‘Primum Familiae Vini’ (First Family of Wine) Group.
Alsace is a special region in France. As the driest wine region in the country, its microclimate is affected by its distance from the ocean and also by the protection of the Vosges Mountains. This climate enables the Riesling grapes to ripen slowly to full maturity, giving the wine great finesse of aroma and unequalled intensity.
In 1959, Jim Barry and his wife Nancy purchased their first property on the northern outskirts of the Clare Valley in South Australia with a long term view to build a successful wine business.
Sadly, Jim passed away in 2004. “Sometimes it takes longer than a lifetime to do a lifetime’s work – it’s now up to my children,” he once said.
The legacy has now been passed on to his second son Peter, who took over as the Managing Director and is at the forefront and nurturing this legendary wine estate.
Clare Valley is one of the Australia’s most prestigious premium wine regions and famous for Riesling. Located 40 miles north of the Barossa Valley, it contains a series of sub valleys ranging from 250 – 480 metres above sea level with many micro climates and ideal winter rainfall and a Mediterranean climate. With all these conditions, the famous vineyards of Jim Barry wines have the potential to develop the wide range of fruit flavours possible in Riesling grapes.
Dr Loosen “Wehlener Sonnenuhr” Riesling Kabinett 2012
This wine comes from the Mosel valley’s famous “Sundial” vineyard with vibrant, late-picked Riesling from the steep, slate-covered slopes. The 2012 vintage is purity and very well balance with only 7.5 % Alc. The ideal weather during harvesting gives the wine enormous fruit aroma and rich texture such as stone fruit, peach and apricot. Blue slate soil is expressed in this wine with great complexity and depth of minerality.
Jim Barry The Florita Riesling 2013
A benchmark dry Clare Valley Riesling with steely, mineral notes which are distinctive to the area, this is a very impressive dry Riesling which has pristine clarity, line and length with augmented intense flavours of passion-fruit, lemon, and lime, with background nuances of guava and hints of petrol. This wine is imminently slurpable upon release but also has the pedigree to last into the next ten years.
Hugel et Fils Tradition Riesling 2008
The principal quality of this Riesling is its freshness, highlighted by a bright and brilliant colour with predominant pale green hints. It has floral aromas of citrus fruit like lime and grapefruit, which are frank and direct, with an overall attractive freshness. This wine is very refreshing and easy to enjoy, as its lively, ripe acidity awakens both the taste buds and the appetite.
The above wines are available at Summergate, please contact Timothy Feather at [email protected]
