Description
Crawford River wines from Henty in South Western Victoria are crafted exclusively from hand-picked and selected fruit grown at their estate vineyard, whereupon they are vinified and bottled on site. The fruit is brought to the winery in small parcels, where meticulous attention is paid to detail. Patience and time are of the essence in their winery.
James Halliday on Crawford River: ” .. is ideally suited to the growing and making of diamond-like rieslings of towering longevity … My love affair with Crawford River Riesling began many years ago, and burns as brightly today as it did when I first tasted it.”
The fruit for this wine is sourced from the oldest parts of the vineyard. In 1975/6 our first Riesling blocks were planted on two gentle ridges lying side by side. Sharing a similar NNW aspect and very similar soil composition, both blocks have a dominance of gravelly, ironstone-rich, free draining clay loam. A further block planted in 1977 tends to a WNW aspect, has less gravel, more sandy loam, and closer proximity to its limestone base. We find the combined expression of these soils show white florals aromatically and layers of mineral, textural intensity throughout the palate. The clone is G198.
This vintage was made with 100% whole-bunch pressed fruit to enhance textural depth, largely due to the cool nature of the season. A natural settle in tank preceded a combination of spontaneous and inoculated fermentation – predominantly in stainless steel. After cool fermentation, the wine spent an average of 6 weeks on lees prior to racking, sulphur addition and blending. Bottled September 2023.
About this vintage from the winemaker: “It has always fascinated me how the vineyard ‘wins in the end’, as my father often reminded me. In spite of seasonal conditions, with careful and astute handling in the winery, the wine typically evolves to reflect the site on which it is gown, regardless of the year. The Vigneron in me has always appreciated this philosophy. 2023 was a difficult growing year, but the wine is fine, pure, complex and has a distinct Crawford River stamp.” Belinda Thomson, Vigneron.
Citrus is the dominant feature throughout this wine, in many guises. Soft, lemon curd elements on the nose, with edges of Kaffir lime and pink grapefruit to closely follow. Fresh lime zest and pretty talc are supported by white florals and pith-like textural quality. The palate is complex, long and even, with the chalky, supple texture lending integrity and wonderful length. CrawfordRiver through and through, with many years ahead of it. Fresh, lively acidity and balanced weight is key to its drinkability now and longevity into the future.
Newly arrived and as always, hotly anticipated .. 2023 doesn’t disappoint!
97 points, Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion “A luminous, bright green gold. Ravishing aromatics. Apricots, orange blossom, geranium, makrut lime leaves and more. Just as enticing on the dry, gently textured, energetic and very long palate. And while it’s just so damn delicious now, history tells us that it’s always worth putting what is one of Australia’s greatest wines away for a few years.”
97 points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review “Very light, bright yellow colour with a haunting fresh fragrance of lemon-peel, lime juice and high-toned estery floral notes. The wine is tremendously intense and rich in the mouth, lifted in the core by a tickle of sweetness which niftily counteracts the quite high acidity. There is a firmness that stops just short of austerity. Long, long carry. This is seriously impressive young Riesling, brilliant now but promising much for the future.”
RRP $62 Our Price $54.99 – LAST OF THIS VINTAGE!
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