Rieslingfreak No 34 Clare & Eden Valley Riesling
Rieslingfreak is the product of winemaker John Hughes obsession with Riesling matched with exceptional winemaking talent which translates into wines of exquisite purity and elegance. His home state of South Australia is blessed with two of the rare places where Riesling truly shines, and John has melded the generous floral aromatics and rich flavour of the Clare Valley with the fine and refreshing acidity of the Eden Valley Riesling to craft this generous, yet complex Riesling. A wine to drink now, but one that will also reward some cellaring.
Angove Bin 749 Riesling
Josef Chromy Sauvignon Blanc
The Josef Chromy Sauvignon Blanc provides aromas of ripe lychee and sweet gooseberry with fresh herbaceous notes. The palate is soft and full with flavours of lychee, elderflower and lemongrass.
Rieslingfreak No.7 Clare Valley Fortified Riesling Non-Vintage
Product Information: Rieslingfreak No.7 Clare Valley Fortified Riesling will remind you of good white port, but somehow with Riesling aromatics and flavours. There's a hint of nutty oak on the nose, supporting aromas and flavours of sultanas, caramel and butter scotch, orange peel and dried fruits. The wine is a perfect match for a sweet dessert, chocolate or a plate of cheese. Grapes for the No.7 are sourced from the family property, White Hutt, Clare Valley. The juice is partially fermented to 7-8 baume (approx. 140g/L sugar) then fortified with a neutral brandy spirit. Stored in old oak casks to develop for 2 to 4 years. The wine was bottled at three years of age, expressing many of the flavours and aromas of a good fortified Riesling. Maker: Established by John Hughes in 2009, Rieslingfreak started as a passion-project, was born from a long-running love for the Riesling variety. Today the portfolio has grown and evolved to include 19 different Riesling styles! Since the beginning, Rieslingfreak's mission has been to produce quality Rieslings that best represent both style and region. They craft Rieslings that reveal the qualities of essential South Australian wine regions, including Clare Valley, Eden Valley and Polish Hill River. It's easy to get the hang of, each of the Rieslingfreak wines is assigned a number, and the number represents both the region where the grape is grown, and the style of the Riesling in the bottle. The Rieslingfreak collection includes dry, sweet, sparkling, and fortified Riesling styles. There are not many grape varieties in the world that provides a winemaker the same level of versatility that Riesling does. To drive it home, Rieslingfreak’s Belinda Hughes, speaks to the versatility of riesling, “I believe Riesling to be the ultimate versatile variety... from dry to sweet, sparkling to fortified, there is almost nothing riesling can’t do – and do well!" Not only that, the variety has natural capability to hold elevated acid levels making it uniquely suited to delicate dry wines as well as perfectly balanced sweeter styles, and also imparts longevity and enables long-term cellaring. The other thing Riesling does well is its ability to effortless accept oak. To argue oak in Riesling, Anne Hughes, John's mum and source of Clare Valley Riesling, takes the mic. While many Australian makers see oak as an affront in riesling, playing it safe to preserve fruit purity at all costs, the reality is that oak is very traditional. “While the use of oak and wild fermentation is relatively rare in Aussie riesling, the Germans have been using oak vessels with riesling for centuries,” says Hughes. Most of the vats used at Rieslingfreak are so old, the oak flavour in the wines is barely perceptible, this subtle influence imparts a distinctive elegance and an old-world charm that truly sets their wines apart from the rest. Riesling Freak are also boundary pushing, respecting tradition, they've learned the rules to break them. While they certainly embrace the classic steely Aussie style and have paid homage to textured German styles, they go further aiming to push the boundaries of what Riesling means in this country. Anne Hughes says, "Riesling is remarkably well suited as a canvas for more exuberant expressions." The variety's high natural acidity is the key factor, that makes it perfect for oak fermentation and maturation - a vinification more commonly association to Burgundian Chardonnay. Anne explains it best, “natural preservation due to low pH and the delicacy of the base wine allows secondary characters to shine. Why can’t riesling be as textural and complex as a top-shelf barrel fermented chardonnay? Why can’t the winemaker embrace the bolder flair of Antoni Gaudi, rather than the restraint of Da Vinci in creating a riesling of great beauty?” You can find this style, that blurs the line between old and new world in Riesling No.1. Only made in the good years, in a way that distinguishes it from any other Rieslingfreak wine. This wine has been wild fermented in a large-format oak barrel, producing a Riesling with texture and unprecedented complexity; combining subtle, spicy oak notes with delicate tropical and heady floral aromas, strewn together by tight, linear acidity that will drive this wine many years into the future and definitely one for the Rieslingfreaks among us. Vineyard: At Rieslingfreak, grapes are sourced from Clare Valley, Polish Hill River and Eden Valley. Each of these regions and specific vineyards are selected based on their own individual microclimate, the history of the vineyard and the grower’s commitment to their vineyards. Their Clare Valley vineyard is the source of No.7 but also Rieslings - No.3, No.5, No.6, No.9, No.33. Situated in White Hutt and is my family vineyard, owned by Richard and Anne Hughes. This is approximately 5.8 kms north of the Clare township, and is situated 500m above sea level. On their Clare Valley property, they have five different Riesling sites. Each site has a different soil profile, where they use multiple clones on the sites. The majority of the sites have deep red clay, over limestone, providing a fruit driven style of Riesling. Nose - Porty Sultanas, Orange Peel, Butter Scotch Bouquet is straw-like and savoury, accented with orange peel, with a suggestion of nutty oak. Palate - Dried Fruits, Caramel, Zest Flavours of sultanas, caramel and butter scotch, orange peel and dried fruits Finish - Nutty Oak, Citrus Pith, Honey The sweetness is quite moderate. The phenolics and apparently high-alcohol accentuate an appealing bitterness on the finish.
Ghost Rock Sacrifice Chardonnay
PLEASE REPLACE THIS DESCRIPTION WITH THE REAL ONE!!!
Russell & Suitor Ladera Chardonnay
Green apple, French oak and fresh cream on the nose, the palate opens up with white peach, melon and slightly bready notes. This wine has seen some malolactic fermentation and the richness, creaminess and texture created by this process allow natural acid, zesty citrus and oak-spice to really get to work. A very well-thought-out chardonnay that ticks all the boxes without breaking the bank. This is a smart pick up.
Robert Oatley Signature Series Riesling
Western Australia's Great Southern region is currently the hottest Australian region for Riesling. Wines of utmost purity, precision and freshness are emanating from vineyards just like those at the disposal of Robert Oatley. Vibrant notes of citrus zest, slate and lively minerals all come together to produce a wine of pure distinction.
Pewsey Vale Eden Valley Riesling
High in the hills above Eden Valley, Pewsey Vale is one of Australia's great Riesling vineyards. This release shows the typical citrus and perfume aromas with a wonderful length of flavour. Always at a fantastic price, Pewsey Vale Riesling is still one of the best value-for-money wines across the entire range. Brilliant when young while it transforms over a decade or more to reveal a textured beauty to behold.
De Bortoli Premium Traminer Riesling
One of the hard part of winemaking process is blending. Each of the variety had to shine yet not overpowering others in the same blend. In particular this case, the Traminer and Riesling are both delicate and aromatic variety. De Bortoli has found that balance in this fruit driven medium dry white. Resulting with a wine that displays musk stick and mango on the nose and a clean finish.
Kilikanoon Killermans Run Riesling
The Killermans Run Riesling is created with drinkability in mind. It's a seriously fresh, easy drinking Riesling that is worth taking a look at! Created by Kevin Mitchell this wine boasts loads of freshness and natural acid ensures that there is some ageability to be enjoyed ahead.