Winemaker Notes
An aromatic Riesling with texture and spice.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Bright and vibrant aromas of lime curd, grapefruit pith and flint. The palate is textural and fresh, with notes of lemon, chalk and orange blossoms. Delicious. Drink or hold.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Watervale Gullyview & Parish Vineyards Riesling leads with lanolin and cheesecloth, scratched citrus and brine. In the mouth, the wine is plump and juicy but driven by edgy acidity. This is quite an exciting wine to drink; it feels textural and elemental and even a little primal. It's great. I find this the most immediately appealing of the Rieslings on the bench here today; perhaps it's not as pure as some of the others, but this feels very complete.
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.
A narrow band of hills and valleys east of the city of Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills region is a diverse landscape featuring a variety of microclimates. In general it is moderate with high-altitude areas cooler and wetter compared to its warmer, lower areas.
Piccadilly Valley, the part of Adelaide Hills closest to the city, was first staked out by a grower named Brian Croser, in the 1970s for a cool spot to grow Chardonnay, then uncommon in Australia. Today a good amount of the Chardonnay goes to winemakers outside of the region.
Producers here experiment with other cool-climate loving aromatic varieties like Pinot Gris, Viognier and Riesling. Charming sparkling wine is also possible. On its north side, lower, west-facing slopes make full-bodied Shiraz.