Polish Hill Riesling 2016

This brilliant Riesling from the highly rated Polish Hill vineyard shows notes of intense grapefruit and citrus flavours coupled with a long, minerally finish. Although this wine is refreshing and satisfying on its own, its textural complexity also means that it goes fantastically with a platter of shellfish.

Grey loam acid soils over sandstone and slate make up the profile with much of the top soil littered with rock, hinting at just how tough the vines need to be to sustain growth and produce quality fruit. Only 9km from Watervale, The Polish HIll River region is quite a bit cooler and typically the fruit ripens 2-3 weeks later, this combined with the soil profile produces fruit with finesse and intensity.

Despite growing these vines organically since their planting in the 1970's, 2012 marked the first year of NASAA Organic Certification for these vineyards. In order to be classified as ‘organic’ by NASAA, requires adherence to stringent regulations including using your own compost, ensuring that there is native vegetation on the property and showing that the property is long-term sustainable. NASAA need to be regularly provided with soil samples, fruit samples and petiole samples which are then tested for pesticides and residuals. In addition, prior to any machinery, bins, etc. entering the property, inspection for possible contamination is paramount. The surrounding properties in the Polish Hill River region are predominately organic which helps to avoid drift spray.

Fruit is harvested in the cool of the night. All batches are kept separately in stainless steel tanks. The fruit is de-stemmed and then gently pressed, resulting in a fine free-run cut and a pressings component. These are handled separately. The free-run juice is chilled to preserve the vineyard expression and purity of fruit. Once the juice has settled, it is racked off solids and seeded with yeast. A cool, temperature controlled fermentation is carried out over 10-14 days. The wine is chilled to 5°C and filtered prior to bottling.

Cellaring