Winemaker Notes
Pale straw with lime green hues. Lifted and fragrant aromas of citrus florals, frangipani, finger lime and kaffir lime leaf, with hints of bath salts and green peppercorn. Excellent flavor intensity showing concentrated citrus flavors of lime juice and Meyer lemon, supported by minerality and crispness for an incredibly long and dry finish.
Pair with crumbed King George Whiting, yoghurt tartare, and herb salad.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2024 Julius Riesling is lean and austere, both aromatically and in the mouth. One must wait for the length of flavor to subside prior to casting judgment upon it; and it is best that you do wait, because the length of flavor is surely one of the greatest determining factors of quality. Here, I was able to write all of this while the wine was fading, and still, it is possible to perceive it. So, while this wine has an array of white flowers, crushed fine quartz, citrus pith and lime oil, it is wrapped in a gauzy shroud of powder-fine phenolics, threaded together by saline acidity. It is long, subtle, composed and excellent. This is Eden Valley at its finest, and the finest Julius yet. 11% alcohol.
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James Suckling
Mineral-driven notes of slate, wet stones, limes and talcum powder. The palate is tightly wound with a light-bodied mouthfeel and energetic acidity, giving notes of grapefruit, lemon peel and nectarines. A very focused and restrained wine that will develop nicely in the bottle over time. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Fragrant and mouthwatering, with intense notes of lime, pear and fresh-cut Honeycrisp apple. Shows a sprinkle of crunchy sea salt, tarragon and fresh lemon on a sleek and juicy frame. Drink now. 50 cases imported.
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.