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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!
Picked Friday, March 25th 2011,
Single vineyard wine.
2.5 tonne Dry Grown Riesling from Mick Hearnden’s 60 year old Riesling Vines
384 bottles Re-released from the cellar Mid January 2023
Very Bright Rich Golden Straw Summer Grass.
Upfront toasty developed notes weaving around lemons and limes supported by lifted perfume of lemon thyme jasmine and dry summer grasses with hints of juniper and aromatic dried herbs
Firm crisp and juicy with Lovely toast complexity & beautiful balancing acid that gently grips the cheeks. Combination of assertive citrus melded with ripe limes and clear lemon countered against hints of dried herbal leaves and yeast complexity. The rich clean palate lingers on beautifully leaving the mouth ready 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. The are bloody Tough! All that aside, the true worth of the variety is as it should be, in the drinking. The 2011 Cellar Release 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 every grape I use for my wines, not having any old dry grown Eden Valley Riesling 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, in Eden Valley 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. As his Riesling invariably does well without water it's an easy decision to dry grow,
The fruit from Mick's block is always a revelation. Where most other Eden Valley Riesling tend towards the big limes and lemons, Mick's for some reason is always 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 2011 Mick Hearnden did a sterling job in very trying conditions, producing a cracking block of fruit that we managed to get into the winery before the ravages of a wet year could wreak their worst. Luckily climate is only one part of the equation, with terroir clone and winemaking all playing their part in producing this cracking wine. Although picking earlier than would usually be my want, the fruit none the less had reached a level of ripeness that gave boggins of flavour to play with. The offset, perhaps, was the formidable acid in the wine meant that it required a few extra years in the shed before we could initially unleash this beast! The result (back when we first released) in the glass is I reckon well worth the wait, and if you have even a modicum more patience tucked up your sleeve, I would highly recommend you plonk a case or two away for a good ten year stretch! Taking my own advice, we plonked 30-odd dozen away for the extra 10 years and release it as a 12 year old and the reward is definitely worth the wait as this racy youngster has attained a voluptuous side! "Bloody delicious," can only be the last word!
