2009 Alpha Box & Dice Golden Mullet Fury

I've been waiting for this wine to hit Kansas for a number of months now. Of the 7 cases that made it to the Sunflower State, our store snatched 3. So I just had to grab one and give it a whirl. The 2009 Alpha Box & Dice Golden Mullet Fury, South Australia is the first white wine from genius winemaker Justin Lane. This 50/50 blend of Muscadelle (also known in Australia as Tokay) and Chardonnay shows practically no color in the glass. Intense nose reveals layers and layers of lemon, unripe peach, candle wax, petrol and gardenia. If I tasted this blind I wouldn't hesitate to guess Riesling. Waxy petrol notes on the light, crisp palate. Nice minerality. You can almost feel the enamel being stripped off your teeth by the jaw-clenching acidity. Short finish is a bit disappointing. Another white wine that drinks better the closer it approaches room temperature. $28

Dinner was saffron and green pea risotto topped with seared sea scallops and sauteed shrimp. When I do a seafood risotto, I replace the Parmesan cheese with mascarpone. I don't feel the pairing was all that great. I might should've gone with a richer interpretation of Chardonnay for this meal. The wine was, however, a great pairing with the red leaf/radicchio salad dressed with a lemon vinaigrette. The acidity of the wine and vinaigrette perfectly balanced one another.