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Naked Run Wines The First Riesling, Clare Valley Naked Run is the Clare Valley label of Steve and Laura Baraglia. The First Riesling, made from 100% free-run juice, comes from their Hill 5 vineyard in the Sevenhill district of the Clare Valley. The site is elevated, at 475 metres, and therefore relatively cool, with red-grey loam over a sandstone and slate/shale subsoil that gives minerality. The fruit is harvested at night, when cool, and processed quickly to minimise skin contact. Steve and Laura Baraglia live on their Sevenhill vineyard in the heart of the Clare Valley with their three children, Mason, Buddy and Evie. After a gentle pressing and three days cold settling, the juice is fermented until dry, stabilized and left on yeast lees for three months before filtering and bottling. The First Riesling is pale straw in colour and typically displays delicate floral, perfume and bath salt aromas and a palate dominated by lemon and lime. The wine has a steely acid backbone which offers a firm assurance that it will age elegantly for many years from vintage.

RIPOSTE BY TIM KNAPPSTEIN The Scimitar Riesling, Clare Valley

This is a light bodied wine with juicy pear, lemon barley characters and hints of rose water. The palate is soft with a touch of creaminess. A wonderfully enjoyable wine that will pair with a wide range of food choices.

Chris Hatcher of 'Hatch Wines' has been a winemaker for almost 50 years including more than 35 years at Wolf Blass, 27 as Chief Winemaker. After many years of contemplating releasing his own wines, Hatch retired from TWE in June 2023 and then in October/November released my own label HATCH, his monicker for most of his life. Watervale, a subregion of Clare Valley is one of the Australia’s classic regions for Riesling. At 390-400metres above sea level the high altitude and cooling breezes from Gulf St Vincent gives a long ripening period that is essential for making high quality Riesling. The HATCH Watervale Riesling is an elegantly fragrant and perfumed Riesling with hints of lime zest and orange blossom. The palate has powerful fruit intensity and finesse with fine acidity that is delicious now but will reward with medium to long-term cellaring.