Top 10 Australian white wines

Wine Australia recently presented their annual ‘Inspired’ tasting showcasing 100 wines chosen by members of the UK trade who have visited Australia over the past year.

The Wine Australia Inspired tasting was held in the Downer room at Australia House, London.

Wine Australia asked a group of wine pros to each choose an Aussie wine that inspired them and the resulting selection gave an insight into the breadth and depth of styles and varieties currently coming out of Australia.

From sommeliers and journalists to merchants and educators everyone involved described their choice in their own words creating, in the words of Wine Australia’s Emma Symington: “A tasting that presents wines in context of time and place, adding an emotional element to a tasting in a way that is unique to the UK market.”

Riesling and Chardonnay are Australia’s favourite whites so their presence comes as no surprise but what about Fiano and Marsanne?

It’s also good to see Australian Semillon, a classic in it’s own right, well represented.

Scroll through to see some of the white Australian wines the UK trade found inspiring…

1. Robert Oatley Finisterre Porongurup Riesling 2013 (Great Southern, WA)

Nominated by: Roger Jones, The Harrow at Little Bedwyn.

Why inspiring? Larry Cherubino is a maverick!

Besides his own numerous wines he has developed some pretty world-class wines with the Robert Oatley group, picking precise vineyards from all over Australia to produce single variety brilliance.

This 2013 is all lime and citrus, an exciting exotic cocktail of freshness and sublime lingering flavours.

How much? £19.99 The Wine Society

Roger Jones

9. Wakefield Riesling 2013 (Clare Valley, SA)

Emily O’Hare

Nominated by: Emily O’Hare, sommelier and wine writer.

Why inspiring? Clare Valley Rieslings are colourless in the glass and they become hyper vivid in the mouth.

They pop Lichenstein like images and colours of transparent tears from yellow-headed girls crying over Brad.

There is a sense of speed about them, an immediacy – bone dry, highly acidic, with pristine flavours of grapefruit, juniper and ginger that shoot straight to the brain.

I really enjoyed the linearity of Wakefields, which sounds horribly pretentious but is entirely honest.

The wines seemed to move in dashes through the mouth, dynamic and energetic as though a vorticist was brushing them through your palate.

How Much: £12.49 Oz Wines, Hailsham Cellars, Denby Dale Wines.

8. Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon 2007 (Hunter Valley, NSW)

Nominated by: Pierpaolo Petrassi MW , Waitrose.

Why inspiring? To really understand the challenges faced by Australian winemaking in the early part of the last century, you need to read one of the best books written about Aussie wine: Wine Hunter by Campbell Mattinson.

It speaks about the founder of Mount Pleasant, Maurice O’Shea, and how he created an Australian icon, more through adversity than success.

The Hunter Semillon style is uniquely Australian, sublime in the great years and has great longevity (especially with the move to screw cap closure).

This wine is consistently one of the finest examples, and therefore one of Australia’s best white wines.

How Much? £29.99 Waitrose, SH Jones.

Pierpaolo Petrassi MW

7. Tahbilk Museum Release Marsanne 2007 (Nagambie Lakes, VIC)

Nominated by: Clement Robert, Medlar.

Why inspiring? One of my favourite estates and a member of the 12 first families of wine.

This Marsanne is showing huge complexity with some ripe citrus characters, an impressive minerality and some yellow peach notes.

The high level of richness on the palate is well balanced by a superb freshness.

This wine, despite showing a bit of evolution, will keep improving with age.

 How Much? £16.99 Armit Wines.

Clement Robert

 6. Fox Gordon Princess Fiano 2012 (Adelaide Hills, SA)

Nominated by: Laura Rhys MS, La Trompette.

Why inspiring? This wine inspires me because it proves how many possibilities there are for different grapes and styles in Australia and it shows such an elegant and delicious style of Fiano – bright orchard fruits, great weight in the palate and superb acidity too.

How Much? £19.00 Lea & Sandeman, Corks Out and Harvey Nichols.

Laura Rhys MS

5. The Lane The Gathering Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2010 (Adelaide Hills, SA)

Nominated by: Patrick Schmitt, the drinks business

Why inspiring? A lovely Graves-style white from the Adelaide Hills.

Watch out Margaret River.

How Much? £20.95 Corney & Barrow.

Patrick-Schmitt

4. Ochota Barrels The Slint Chardonnay 2013 (Adelaide Hills, SA)

Nominated by: Tim Wildman MW, James Busby Travel.

Why inspiring? Australia is already seeing the second wave of natural winemakers; mature, confident and not needing to flaunt funk as a badge of honour.

Taras and Amber Ochota are at the front of this second wave, crafting elegant, minimal intervention wines with an emphasis on perfume, acid and texture from Grenache, Syrah, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

This cool climate Adelaide Hills Chardonnay is very much in the contemporary, fine boned, Chablis-eque style that Australia is producing so successfully, but still feels like a wine that has been grown not made.

Quite tight, needs decanting and air; pithy with citrus and stone fruits, with aromas of pollen, fresh hay and a quartz-like precision.

A stunning example not only of contemporary “Mod-Oz” Chardonnay, but also the new wave of natural wines that are defined by character, interest and, above all, drinkability.

How Much? £28.00 Bayley & Sage, Bottle Apostle, The Sampler, Indigo.

Tim Wildman MW

3. Bindi Quartz Chardonnay 2011 (Macedon Ranges, VIC)

Nominated by: Ian Brosnan, Ely Wine Club.

Why inspiring? It was incredible, easily one of the best Australian Chardonnays I’ve ever tasted, certainly the best I’ve tasted this year.

In fact, it’s my wine of the year so far!!!

How Much? £59.99 Exel Wines, Divine Cellars, Caviar House andPrunier.

Ian Brosnan

2. By Farr Chardonnay 2012 (Geelong, VIC)

Nominated by: Jennifer Docherty, Liberty wines.

Why inspiring? Despite By Farr being on Liberty’s list, I had not tasted the Chardonnay before until tasting it blind at the Chardonnay masterclass during the 2012 James Busby tour.

The 2010 Chardonnay really stood out for its elegance and minerality in addition to a desirable tension found in very fine Chardonnays that I adore.

I also found the oak use seamless with just the right amount.

The wine is now one of my favourites.

How Much? £49.99 Farr Vintners, Highbury Vintners, Lay & Wheeler.

Jennifer Docherty

1. Philip Shaw The Dreamer Viognier 2013 (Orange, NSW)

Nominated by: Orsi Szentkiralyi, WotWine.

Why inspiring? I loved the elegance and complexity of this cool climate wine, where ripeness and freshness are in perfect balance.

How Much? £13.50 Hannibal Brown Wines, The General Wine Company, The Wine Reserve Ltd.

Orsi Szentkiralyi