Tasting

In the glass, a young Riesling from Clare Valley typically shows pale green-yellow, barely darker than water with a hint of lemon, and on the nose comes first lime, then green apple, sometimes a trace of jasmine. On the palate it feels lean and downright cutting. The acidity runs so high that inexperienced tasters often mistake the wine for underripe, even though it's fully finished.

A wine from Watervale tastes noticeably different from one from Polish Hill. Watervale brings riper fruit, often with a note of honey or even tropical fruit, and feels approachable in its very first years. Polish Hill, by contrast, is more tightly built, with an almost saline minerality and an acidity that remains perceptible even after ten years.

With age, something happens that confuses many beginners. After five, eight, sometimes fifteen years, the wine develops an aroma of kerosene or hot asphalt, known as a petrol note, and behind it sits an aromatic compound called TDN, which slowly forms from precursors in the grape. To connoisseurs, this is a sign of maturity, not a flaw. The first impression still throws some people off, though.

With the valley's red wines, tasting works entirely differently. An Armagh Shiraz or a Wendouree Cabernet shows dark berry fruit, often with a minty, eucalyptus-like note that comes from the eucalyptus trees surrounding many vineyards, an aroma that recurs in many Australian red wines. The tannin is firm, sometimes almost dusty, and demands years in the cellar before it rounds out.

Anyone who tastes both sides of the valley side by side immediately understands something important. Clare Valley resists easy categorization. A Riesling that tastes of lime and, later, petrol. A Shiraz that smells of black fruit and eucalyptus. Both come from the same narrow strip of land.