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If there was ever (in my book) a true king of the whites, it is Eden Valley Riesling! The fruit from Mick's block is always a revelation. True to type this Eden Valley Riesling is chock full of big limes and lemons, with hints of ruby grapefruit and marmalade. Maybe it's the soil, maybe the clone... I don't really mind which, because the fruit is always awesome!
Sourced from Mick Hearnden’s Eden Valley Old Block Vineyard.
Picked 26th of March 2023
Total production 1800 bottles. Bottled Early February 2024
Very Bright light new straw with hints of pale lime green.
Ripe and seductive limes supported by lifted perfume of lemon thyme jasmine and dry summer grasses with hints of juniper and aromatic dried herbs
Firm crisp and full bodied for a Riesling with beautiful balancing acid that gently grips the cheeks. Combination of assertive lime over lemon Sorbet melded with barely ripe white peach are counterpointed against hints of dried herbal leaves and yeast complexity. The clean delicious palate lingers on beautifully leaving the mouth eager for the next sip.
If there was ever (in my book) a true king of the whites, it is Eden Valley Riesling! Riesling is one of the physically toughest varieties on the planet, yet it is capable of producing some of the most subtle wines you will ever come across. You only need look at the thin layer of loam, coating the underlying granite of the Eden hills and the way the vines thrive to see my point. They are bloody Tough! All that aside, the true worth of the variety is as it should be, in the drinking. The 2023 Eden Valley Riesling fits the bill here to excess. It won't ever see the show circuit but rather is destined to spend its life making meals and lazy afternoons a much better place to be.
Although I try to grow as much of the grapes I use for my wines, not having any old Eden Valley Riesling vines handy meant that I had to find a source. As luck would have it, a good mate who lives across the road from my brother Phil, had some fruit that more than fit the bill. Mick Hearnden lives on a property out the back of Eden Valley. He has no formal water supplies and has to rely on natural rainfall to supply him with all he uses. Luckily they have been reliably producing fantastic fruit for over 50 years.
The fruit from Mick's block is always a revelation. True to type this Eden Valley Riesling is chock full of big limes and lemons, with hints of ruby grapefruit and marmalade. Maybe it's the soil, maybe the clone... I don't really mind which, because the fruit is always awesome.
In 2023 I sourced around 3 tonnes of the good stuff from Mick. This wonderful fruit came in just under 12 Baume & was picked overnight before being basket pressed. The un-clarified free run was separated from the pressings and cold fermented for around a month in stainless. Five months on un-stirred yeast lees followed before the wine was triple racked and naturaly clarified for 6 months. 1800 Bottles were filled in early February and the wine released in April 2024. It's delicious, balanced and perfect just on its own in a glass!
