The age of riesling and magical whites from Patrick of Coonawarra, Peter Lehmann, Coppabella and Bird On A Wire

It’s the greatest magic act in the world of wine – and we’re applauding with a unique mixed dozen that proves getting older can be a beautiful thing.

A unique collection of aged whites feature in this week’s offer from The Australian Wine Club.

It’s the greatest magic act in the world of wine.

How riesling ages gracefully, for decades and decades in many cases, without the aid of being matured in oak, is a phenomenon that never fails to captivate wine lovers like us.

“You go from fresh fruity flavours in their youth to toasty, lemon butter and lanolin characters in the years ahead – it’s a lovely thing,’’ says Luke Tocaciu, chief winemaker at Patrick of Coonawarra.

We’re offering a treat at The Australian Wine Club this week: a unique collection of aged whites, with a 2017 Patrick of Coonawarra Block 5 Riesling leading the show.

Making up the mixed dozen is one of the Barossa Valley’s most distinguished whites, a 2017 Peter Lehmann Margaret Semillon, as well as a high-quality Tumbarumba chardonnay and a rare Yarra Valley marsanne.

Before we get to the lineup, though, let’s scratch our riesling obsession.

Patrick of Coonawarra chief winemaker Luke Tocaciu with his late father Patrick Tocaciu.

Aged riesling was a passion that was shared by Luke’s father, Patrick, a superb winemaker who worked for some of the biggest brands in Australian wine before starting his own venture in the Coonawarra.

“Dad certainly had a love of riesling and working in places like Penfolds and Tollana in the Barossa meant he saw a lot of riesling coming out of places like Eden Valley,’’ Luke says.

Sadly, Patrick – or Pat, as he was known to his many friends – died only nine years after releasing the first wines under his own label, leaving Luke, then 28, to take over the fledgling business.

“It was a huge learning curve, going from being a young person starting a career in wine to managing a business through a terribly difficult time, but something that we managed to overcome,’’ he says.

As the business has grown, Luke has followed his father’s tradition of releasing an aged riesling each year, normally when the wine is between five and seven years of age.

“Riesling goes on a bit of a rollercoaster as it ages – after those first couple of years when the fruit is really fresh, it can go through a bit of a dip before those toasty characters really start coming through,’’ Luke says.

The riesling grape’s high natural acid is the trick to the magic act, enabling these wines to live on and on.

As any wine ages, the fruit recedes and yields to secondary aromas and flavours, often partly imparted by the oak used to mature white varieties such as chardonnay and most reds.

In riesling, the high natural acid bonds with the fading fruit sweetness, producing characters such as lemon and lime marmalade, butter and toast, honey and beeswax and lanolin. You’ll sometimes also find a kerosene-type character, which may sound a little off-putting, but is part of the mesmerising sensory experience. “I’d say 20 years is a pretty good age to enjoy a riesling,’’ says Luke.

No doubt, one of the highlights of Luke’s life in wine has been the opportunity to sample rieslings from the early 1980s made by his father at Tollana.

Patrick of Coonawarra Block 5 Aged Riesling 2017

Coonawarra’s cool nights help riesling retain its natural acid while ripening slowly. The 2017 vintage was cool and wet – challenging for reds but, as this wine shows, not a problem for riesling. This release is impeccably timed: still plenty of fruit freshness but those adored secondary characters are coming through. Lifted scents of orange blossom and honeysuckle, along with citrusy grapefruit and dried mango, rise to the fore. Gentle citrus fruit drives the palate, along with lemon sherbet and honeysuckle. Lovely palate weight and good acidity, showing there’s many years of ageing potential left. Excellent stuff. 94 points, Halliday Wine Companion. 11.5% alc; RRP $45.

SPECIALS $39.99 in any six; $29.99 a bottle in Aged Whites dozen.

Coppabella of Tumbarumba Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2021

From the pristine cool climate of the Snowy Mountains foothills comes this stylish four-year-old showing a fine fusion between fruit and oak-derived characters. Grapefruit, citrus and stone fruit aromas and flavours mingle with vanilla, nougat, cashew nuts and a touch of caramel. Wet-stone minerality, balanced acidity and a long, clean finish complete the picture. A crowd pleaser. 12.5% alc; RRP $27.

SPECIALS $23.99 a bottle in any dozen; $29.99 a bottle in Aged Whites dozen.

Peter Lehmann Margaret Barossa Valley Semillon 2017

Thirty to 40 years ago, Australia’s biggest-selling white wine around the $10-$15 mark carried the Lehmann name and was made from semillon. Those days are gone, but this eight-year-old, named after Peter Lehmann’s wife and business confidante, Margaret Lehmann, continues to celebrate Barossa semillon. In the style of a Bordeaux white, the Margaret is a full-flavoured, multi-layered drinking experience: notes of lemon curd, lemongrass, lanolin and a whiff of blue cheese. Precise acidity and relatively low alcohol a hallmark of this luxurious white. 96 points, Halliday Wine Companion. 11% alc; RRP $50.

SPECIALS $29.99 a bottle in Aged Whites dozen.

Bird On a Wire Yarra Valley Marsanne 2017

Marsanne hails from the Northern Rhone and is regaled for producing nutty, honey and ripe pear flavours as the wine ages. You’ll find those characters here but there’s still plenty of freshness on the nose: jasmine, cut grass, lemon and white stone fruit with a hint of beeswax and lanolin. Palate is rounded with flavours of ginger, almond, marzipan, and pear. Good palate weight. Enjoy with oily fish such as salmon and sardines. 91 points, Halliday Wine Companion. 14% alc; RRP $39.

SPECIALS $29.99 a bottle in any dozen; $29.99 a bottle in Aged Whites dozen.

AGED WHITES DOZEN Three bottles of each wine above for $29.99 a bottle.SAVE $123.

Order online or phone [phone] Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm AEST. Deals are available only while stocks last. The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaites Wine, LIQP770016550.