Whenever I taste one of these Robert Stein Riesling I always think about how hard it must be to convince people that Mudgee can make great Riesling. The wines are top shelf, and win bags full of show medals every year, but I can imagine how many blank looks Jacob Stein must still get pouring ’em.
This Robert Stein Riesling 2021 is impressive juice too. Talc, sherbet, ripe lime juice. There is always a density to the Robert Stein Riesling wines, an extra thrust of lime juice concentrate. A great year for the label, this is fully dry and firm, yet the acidity is not harsh. It’s not delicate, or pretty, or refined, but it has heart and power. Again, a wine to shift the Mudgee expectations.
Best drinking: I like it now, but no hurry – after 3-4 years these still look ace. 18.5/20, 94/100. 11%, $40. Robert Stein website. Would I buy it? Yes.
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4 Comments
Their rieslings are stunning. However, I feel like as a brand they carry the whole load for building Mudgee’s reputation for riesling.
Agreed Cathy. Can’t see it changing any time soon either.
Do more from the region need to partake too I guess?
Outside of Riesling (and particularly the Stein stable) I struggle to think of many Mudgee whites I’ve really taken to. Tougher now I suppose with Orange on the up too.
Actually there was one other exception – a pinot gris/pinot blanc/riesling number that’s delightful from Ernest Schuetz (think apple pie notes + a bit of amarone treatment in the winemaking)
Search goes on for them I guess. It’s been a tough time with weather conditions too 🙁
It’s a tough place to make wine. Interestingly, Mudgee has some very old Chardonnay plantings – the old Montrose plot predates most everything else in the state. Otherwise, good Mudgee whites are infrequent.