Winemaker Notes
Pale gold with lime green hues. Intensely perfumed aromas of citrus blossom, freesia and Kaffir lime leaf, with notes of jasmine and delicate hints of fresh almond and thyme. The palate is rich and concentrated with lemon zest, finger lime and lime sherbet leading into a textural mid-palate. Crisp and refined acidity provides laser focus for a long, powerful finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A delicate, balletic riesling, barely nudging mid-weight. The acidity is juicy, finding an effortless confluence with subtle phenolic rims, with notes of jasmine, green apple, lime sorbet and wild fennel draped across the structural framework. Extremely long, filigree and refined. A triumph of an opening act for new head winemaker, Gwyn Olsen.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Julius Riesling is supremely elegant and fine, with flow and finesse in equal measure. It's a very impressive wine, which expounds pear, green apple, lime flesh, layers of crushed shells, ginger lily and lashings of almond meal and white pepper. This superstar wine is elegant and svelte. 12% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
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Wine Spectator
Vibrant and intense, with a laser beam of lime and ruby grapefruit flavors at the core. Shows mouthwatering acidity, offering notes of green apple and lemon verbena, plus a hint of peppery white flowers. Refreshing finish. Drink now. 800 cases made, 100 cases imported.
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Decanter
Pretty floral nose of wildflower, green apple and blossom, palate of zesty grapefruit, lime and a bright acidity.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
Higher in elevation and topographically more dramatic than the Barossa Valley floor, Eden Valley abuts it to its south and east. While it is a bit of an extension of Barossa, Eden Valley is topographically different than the pastoral Barossa Valley, and is composed of rocky hills and eucalyptus groves.
Recognizing Eden Valley’s potential with Riesling in the 1960s and 70s, producers started to move their Riesling production from Barossa to these better sites where schist soils on hilltops would produce more steely, tart and age-worthy examples. A most famous site, planted by Colin Gramp, called Steingarten, today produces one of the most outstanding Australian Rieslings. Youthful Eden Valley Rieslings express floral, grapefruit and mineral, while with time in the bottle, they become increasingly toasty and complex.
Riesling isn’t the only grape the region can grow; undeniably at lower altitudes Shiraz does very well. Mount Edelstone is a notable vineyard as well as the Hill of Grace, which boasts healthy Shiraz vines well over 100 years old. This is the only Australian region where Merlot has a made a name for itself and Chardonnay can be spectacular, particularly from the High Eden subregion in the southern valley.