The last Foudre Ferment I have notes on was the 2015 release, where winemaker Justin Purser stated :”we smashed the new foudre to take the overt oak from it” but at that time I thought the oak was still quite evident and it made for a juxtaposition to an inherently tight and keen wine. Top marks for the brown glass bottle.

Best’s Great Western, Foudre Ferment, Riesling, Great Western, 2018

Oak and wild ferment provides a nut cream aroma underpinned by lime tart, citrus blossom, white pepper spice and a stony quartz. A powerful, complex and impelling palate: oak creaminess overlays intense lime like a blanketing quilt. Linear minerality pulses through the nebulae of the oak like a lighthouse lantern in sea fog. Feel free to pour now or anytime in the next 15 years for maximum development.

RRP: $35
Alc: 11%
Rating: 19/20

Wine sample courtesy of Best’s Great Western