Australia 10 whites
Australia 10 whites
(Image credit: Australia 10 whites)

Australia's white wine scene is a hotbed of quality, and very much on the up. The country's foremost wine communicator, Huon Hooke surveys new and established wineries, large and small, to name his top estates. As published in the Decanter July 2012 issue.

Grosset

Clare Valley, South Australia

Jeffrey Grosset (pictured) is Australia’s Mr Riesling. This fastidious grapegrower and winemaker produces two sensational dry Clare Valley Rieslings each year, a fuller Watervale wine now labelled Springvale – from calcareous soil – and the more nervy Polish Hill, grown on the slate soils of the higher-altitude Polish Hill River sub-region. In 2010 these were joined by a wine labelled Off-Dry, which is barely off-dry and crafted in the same restrained, refined, delicate style as the other two. It’s destined to be another classic. Occasionally, in suitable seasons such as 2011, there’s a rivetingly powerful Noble Riesling made from botrytised grapes. Grosset’s Piccadilly is a superbly taut, ageworthy Chardonnay from that Adelaide Hills locality, and his Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc blend deftly combines Clare Semillon with Adelaide Hills Sauvignon. Mesh, of course, is his superb Eden Valley adventure, jointly produced with Yalumba..

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(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

Grosset, Off-Dry Riesling 2011

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(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

Fresh, fragrant, young-wine aroma of floral notes and green apples. A pristine wine, very delicate and fragrant in the mouth, with the barest minimum of sweetness. Fine and long, taut and balanced; a lovely wine with a big future.18.5pts/20

Price: £17.30–£20 Noel Young, Selfridges, Slurp, Swig, Vineking

Drink: 2012–2021

Alc: 11.5%

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Huon Hooke
Huon Hooke
Decanter Magazine, Wine & Food Writer

Huon Hooke is Australia’s leading independent wine writer, based in Sydney, who also judges wine competitions and educates on wine. A journalist first and wine professional second, he has tertiary qualifications in both fields, and has also worked in wineries and wine retailing. He contributes to Gourmet Traveller Wine, the Sydney Morning Herald’s ‘Good Food’ section, ‘Good Weekend’ magazine and Decanter, among other publications. He was co-author of The Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide for 14 years until 2007. In 2012 he launched the web and phone based app, Huonhooke.com. He has won 11 awards for wine writing since 1984 and has published 19 books on wine, including a biography of Penfolds Grange creator Max Schubert.