Mr Riggs Watervale Riesling 2018

95 points - Sam Kim "Fabulously pristine and delicate, the wine shows Granny Smith apple, lemon zest and lime sorbet notes on the nose, leading to a concentrated and brilliantly focused palate that’s vibrant and persistent. It’s beautifully poised and superbly structured for a graceful development. At its best: 2023 to 2034."

The Watervale Riesling is sourced from Clare Valley’s cooler sub-region Watervale. The wonderfully delicate nose carries lime oil and soft citrus blossom characters seamlessly to the palate. Mouth feel is abundant and vibrant. This is a crisp, tangy and delicate example of a Clare Valley Riesling.

• Winemaker's Notes
• Reviews/Accolades

• The wonderfully delicate nose carries lime oil and soft citrus blossom characters seamlessly to the palate. Here, the mouth feel is abundantly vibrant and lifted offering zesty lemon and lime carefully balanced with bright fresh, full fruit sweetness. The Rieslings from the cooler sub-region of Watervale, south of Clare, are crisp, tangy and delicate and this example is no exception. A true expression of vineyards and vintage, Mr. Riggs Watervale Riesling 2019 represents precisely place and time.
  
  The winemaking talents of Ben Riggs and Kerri Thompson were originally combined many vintages ago at Wirra Wirra. Now the production of this wine shows the Riggs/Thompson winemaking talents once again united, using Riesling from Watervale, a sub-region of Clare, South Australia which is home to some of the best Rieslings in the world. The vines are planted by single cordon trellising, traditional to the Clare region. Hand pruning allows the best possible shaping and opening of the canopy, to maximise sunlight for growth and even ripening of the grapes. The 2019 vintage in Clare Valley was uncharacteristically hot and dry, with less than 150mm of rain fall in the growing season (October - early April). Careful irrigation ensured the canopies remained engaged, and although the vintage did present its challenges, fruit quality remained high. The grapes for this wine were picked in late March and they accurately reflect the pedigree of the vintage and the hand-tended vines from which they were taken.
  
  From the outset, producing a Riesling from Australia’s best Riesling region was on the list of icon wines to be pursued by winemaker Ben Riggs. Harvesting fruit from the Churinga vineyard (Kate’s Block) at Watervale, Clare Valley, was an opportunity not to be missed.
  
  

  Region: Clare Valley, SA

  Vintage: 2018

  Alcohol: 12.5%

   

• 95 Points - Sam Kim
  Fabulously pristine and delicate, the wine shows Granny Smith apple, lemon zest and lime sorbet notes on the nose, leading to a concentrated and brilliantly focused palate that’s vibrant and persistent. It’s beautifully poised and superbly structured for a graceful development. At its best: 2023 to 2034.