Warmth returned to our growing season in 2024 after a run of cool, late years. A good thing, too, given that we were to harvest our biggest crop yet from the Resurrection Block, which sits on an East-facing hill at a lofty 1087m above sea-level. Ripening it at the best of times can be difficult.

We again had access to multiple other sites and picks in 2024 as well – a wonderful opportunity to create components and therefore complexity in our Riesling. We were spoilt with choice! The season brought us lovely, intense fruit from 3 different vineyards over 6 individual harvest days. Each parcel was kept separately and treated individually in the winery. Some cool fermented stainless steel fermented portions, some barrel-fermented, wild yeast portions, some skin-contact portions too. All aged for 9-12 months before the daunting task of blending them into their most balanced proportion and bottling in the following Summer.

Our green-labelled Riesling aims to show fruit-driven and floral characters, very much in the lime and citrus-blossom spectrum. It is inspired by the cool-climate Rieslings produced along the Rhine Valley but with an inbuilt, distinctly Australian style. Dry, precise and pretty in their youth but age worthy and complex underneath.  Purity of acid and freshness is important, as is youthful drinkability. Barrel-fermentation and regular lees-stirring brings a textural feel in the mouth, and there’s enough phenolic structure to hold the wine together and have it pair nicely with food.

COLOUR – Pale with yellow/green hues

NOSE – Exotic tropical fruits up front. Custard apple comes to mind. There is honeydew melon and kiwi as well. A hint of honey with ginger plus a lovely essence of wet stone and sea spray. Some nettle lurking too!

PALATE – Very full-on palate, with a whole myriad of things going on at once. Spritely acid cuts through an intensely fruit dominated mid-palate. Green apple, kiwi, guava, melon. The wine sits lightly in the mouth and spreads to all corners thanks to some lovely mealy texture and a good hit of grippy phenolics. There’s a saline, savoury finish that stimulates your saliva and prepares you for the next sip, all in lovely balance.