TN: 2002 Petaluma Riesling Hanlin Hill

WINE TALK
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  • 2002 Petaluma Riesling Hanlin Hill - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley (6/17/2023)
    Still majestic under screwcap. Pours out so fresh with green tinges. The nose has a whiff of toast, some Tahitian lime, rockmelon and citrus blossom. The palate is direct and focused. It has an almost rainwater-like clarity and is rich, balanced and delicately complex. Acidity is starting to relax and there's a light butteriness to the mouthfeel. The finish is precise, energetic and long.

Posted from CellarTracker

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I had the 01 to 05 at a tasting in Melbourne last year, with the 01 and 02 having a cork and the other 3 a screw cap.

Not much between the 02 and 03 in terms of quality, but they were worlds apart when it came to aging. The 02 was drinking well and in the zone , while the 03 had years to go. I’d say the screw capped wines need 25-30 years and can probably go a lot longer.

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Hi Cameron.

I bought a couple of cases each of this '02 under both screwcap and cork and have tracked the wine over the past 20 years. I have often put them side by side and have always liked the screwcap version more. It is aging at a slower pace, but aging properly. It seems to be more precise than the cork version. There have been some advanced/oxidised bottles under cork. Every bottle under screwcap has been pristine and they will easily go another two decades.

cheers
Jeremy

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After the tasting Jeremy i started to chase down early noughties Rieslings at auction and I have yet to find a screw capped wine that is past it - even simple wines like the 03 Wolf Blass Gold Label Riesling are aging well and still have more to go.

I do wonder though if the age ability is a blessing or a curse. Not many people want to wait so long for their wines to be at their peak and a closure that allows the wine to age a bit quicker would be preferred. Given the choice of the 2 closures though, it’s screw cap all the way for me.