Pewsey Vale: The original Eden Valley Riesling

Pewsey Vale celebrate their 170th anniversary this year. Sarah Ahmed tastes some current and museum releases of their dry Eden Valley Rieslings...

Pewsey Vale’s founder, Joseph Gilbert, sourced its vines from pioneering viticulturist William Macarthur, who imported German cuttings from the Rheingau. Planted in 1847, these formed Eden Valley’s first Riesling vineyard, and soon developed a reputation.

Reporting in the South Australian Advertiser in 1861, Ebenezer Ward described Pewsey Vale’s Riesling as ‘fragrant, delicate and pure’, adding that the 1854 out-performed ‘choice Hock …the best wine of its class ever imported.’

Despite success on Australia’s show circuit and at the Paris, Bordeaux and London exhibitions, crippling taxes forced the Gilberts to sell up in 1927 and, following devastating bush fires, the vineyard was pulled up in 1929. Fortunately, all was not lost. Inspired by its illustrious history, owner Geoffrey Angas Parsons and Yalumba’s Wyndham Hill-Smith – whose family bought the property in 1970 – replanted Pewsey Vale to Riesling in 1961, almost certainly using vines derived from Macarthur’s original selection. The first commercial release, the 1969 vintage, bagged two trophies and seven gold medals. Released in the year of vintage, entry-level Pewsey Vale typifies Eden Valley’s fresh, floral, citrus-driven style of Riesling with mineral inflections.Since 2011 they have been including a savoury-toned, wild yeast component in the blend, with no fining, which subtly rounds the palate, complementing the soft yet persistent acidity and chalky mouthfeel – a hallmark of Eden Valley’s low pH.

1961 Block

The 1961 Block Riesling 2017, released this year to mark the estate’s 170th anniversary, is from a site which, chief winemaker Louisa Rose notes, expresses ‘more Australian exotica – lemon myrtle, tea tree and finger limes.’

From the oldest and sunniest parcel, ‘wild ferment was a no brainer’, and it spent five months on its lees ‘to work with that block’s richness.’ The other wines, by contrast, only spend a few weeks on their lees.

Released young, the 1961 Block Riesling is succulent, with a gentle mouthfeel and restrained flavour profile, differentiating it from its more citrus-fuelled siblings, but it retains Pewsey’s clarity and balance.

Contours

Since 2009, flagship wine The Contours (introduced in 1995) has been classed as ‘Excellent’ in Langton’s classification of Australia’s top wines.

This 66ha vineyard comprises 29 predominantly north-facing parcels, planted between the 1960s and the late 2000s at 450-500 metres above sea level in a natural amphitheatre of shallow rocky, sandy soils of decomposed white quartz, gneiss and schist.

Wholly naturally fermented since 2011, The Contours hails from Pewsey Vale’s coolest spot – the only south-facing vines, planted in 1964 and now certified biodynamic.

Intense and finer in structure, it is released with five years’ bottle age, once sweeter notes of lime cordial, lemon curd and toast notes have developed, enrichening the palate. The Contours 10 Year Cellar-Aged Riesling even segues into lime marmalade and honey.

Oysters or sashimi excel with the youthful wines, but try sauced fish or white meat dishes with The Contours.

The tasting

This recent tasting in London focussed on the bone dry Rieslings from Pewsey Vale, a selection of current and museum releases picked by chief winemaker, Louisa Rose.

Pewsey Vale Riesling – Sarah’s picks:

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