Austrian Rieslings: A good source for petrol/diesel aromas?

I love Austrian wine, but I've admittedly not had enough Riesling from there to know at what point in a wine's evolution (if a rule indeed be formed) the petrol/diesel aromas begin to emerge - in youth, or with age. Are generalizations possible?

And, as an aside - in which country's/countries' Rieslings do you most regularly get this petrol aroma? In Ontario, one of my criticisms of Rieslings is that they seem to show this diesel aroma far too seldom; I'm very partial to it and I love it when I pour a Riesling and I get a glassful of wet stones and Mack truck.

My experience is that bottle age makes the petrol come out. I've seen it most in Germans, next Alsace, and least in Austrians. Don't have enough experience with Australians to make generalizations.

I've usually had good luck with Australian rieslings. Often they turn petrolly at a very young age. Try to find some Pewsey Vale. It's a very decent drop for a very decent price and (usually) becomes petrolly after just a couple years in bottle.

-O-

Thanks, Otto.

I had a brief bout of dyslexia as I read your post: I thought, "Pewsey" sure doesn't sound Austrian ... and then I saw that you meant Australia

Sorry Paul, I should have indicated that I was answering your "aside" question!

No worries, Otto! That little itty bit of dyslexia was all mine ...

I love Austrian wine, but I've admittedly not had enough Riesling from there to know at what point in a wine's evolution (if a rule indeed be formed) the petrol/diesel aromas begin to emerge - in youth, or with age. Are generalizations possible?

And, as an aside - in which country's/countries' Rieslings do you most regularly get this petrol aroma? In Ontario, one of my criticisms of Rieslings is that they seem to show this diesel aroma far too seldom; I'm very partial to it and I love it when I pour a Riesling and I get a glassful of wet stones and Mack truck.

I get diesel and petrol most often with Riesling grown in primary rock vineyards. The Wachau and Kamptal in Austria are abundant in these (and obviously in Germany and Alsace too). The flavors you're looking for Paul, can be found in Austrian GV as well, if perhaps not quite as focused, and maybe taking longer to develop. I think 'when' all comes down to vintage. Warmer years seem to favor these flavors and show them more quickly, wet ones like 2002 in Lower-Austria, not so much.

If you want a good example of petrol, get a bottle of riesling from the Erdener Treppchen Vineyard.