Sixty Second Swirl by Brent Lello, Yass Valley Wine Columnist
There’s something lusciously alluring about a good dessert-style “sticky”. These wines are made with grapes left on the vine well into Autumn when the conditions are right for the Botrytis mould to take hold, drawing out the water from the fruit and leaving behind a sticky, sweet, and syrupy juice. These wines generally age very well and there are some great offerings in the Yass Valley region. One of these is this week’s “swirl” – the Barton Estate “Eva” Late Picked Riesling 2008.
This sticky is Autumn leaf gold in colour with a bright, flashy light from within. A swirl encourages aromas of perfumed citrus flowers, torched orange peel and cumquat marmalade with a shave of cinnamon stick. The palate is rich and luscious and swirls stickily around the tongue. There are flavours of marmalade, dried apricots and a bite of burnt butter, leading to a long, lingering and luscious finish.
We enjoyed our bottle with a classic Creme Brulé, and it was a sublimely seductive match. You could also try this with a sticky, self-sauced citrus pudding or think outside the square and enjoy with a rich duck liver parfait. I bought my bottle direct from the cellar door, but you can also buy online for $25.
