Sixty Second Swirl
White wines are usually presented to punters in their distinctive varietal form, other than perhaps the popular Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blend. So, it’s a surprise to find a blend of four distinct white varieties – a pleasingly pleasant surprise.
This week’s “swirl” is a blend of Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Semillon and Riesling – the Long Rail Gully ‘Cetiri’ Field Blend 2021. Cetiri is Croatian for “four” and the reason for the name is steeped in the family tree of the winemaker – Richard Parker.
The wine is a pale, lemony straw colour in the glass with a bright flashy from within. A swirl reveals aromas of granny smith apple, ripe pear, just-squeezed grapefruit, and a tantalising touch of Turkish delight. The palate is smooth, supple, and loaded with citrus, pear and apple flavours. A lovely lick of acidity helps the wine kick around to a lingering finish.
We enjoyed our bottle with a grilled swordfish steak with spicy sambal sauce, served up at “the local”, but would go brilliantly with crispy battered south coast snapper or salt & pepper calamari with a lick of lemon and a shake of sea salt. You can get yours online for $25.
Brent Lello, Yass Valley Times Wine Columnist
About the winemaker
Richard Parker studied winemaking at Charles Sturt University and has been instrumental in establishing and developing Long Rail Gully Wines.
In 1998 Richard selected the site for the vineyard, prepared the layout, and planted the first vines with the help of his mother, Barbara. Finally, in 2001 after tending the young vines for three years, the first vintage was ready for harvest. Long Rail Gully has been an obsession ever since.
For Richard, winemaking is a mix of art and science, soil and climate, passion and logic, hard work and joy, all combining to produce quality expressive wines, reflecting the place in which they are grown and made.
Long Rail Gully’s state-of-the-art winery provides the best winemaking equipment available. Still, Richard’s hands-on approach to the vineyard and winery and careful attention to detail from vine to glass is paramount in creating our high-quality wines, bringing out the best of each variety.
