Mount Horrocks Watervale Riesling 2023
$37.50
SPECIAL BUY 6 or more. Set to be a classic Watervale vintage. Top 100 Wines 2023, James Halliday.
Description
Mount Horrocks Wines is operated by proprietor/winemaker Stephanie Toole, who restricts production to approximately 3,500 cases per annum in order to achieve her aims of quality and single vineyard expression. All three estate-owned Clare Valley vineyards, totalling ten hectares, are ‘A certified’ by Australian Certified Organic (ACO). James Halliday says “Stephanie Toole has never deviated from the pursuit of excellence in the vineyard and winery. She has three vineyard sites in the Clare Valley, each managed using natural farming and organic practices. The attention to detail and refusal to cut corners is obvious in all her wines. 5 Red Star Winery”
Stephanie carefully crafts “essentially hand-made food wines with emphasis on structure as well as generous fruit flavours”. Only estate grown grapes are used and these are hand-picked and gently handled under conditions that ensure the varietal and site-specific flavours in the resultant wine, as well as its organic status, are retained. As no finings have been found necessary the wines are all suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Only the finest French oak barriques are used for those wines spending time in barrel.
The remote, isolated Mount Horrocks Watervale Riesling vineyard planted by Stephanie in 2001, sits in the north eastern corner of the Clare Valley’s Watervale subregion, on the very edge of the highly prized red soil over limestone.
Since ACO organic certification in 2012, Stephanie has produced beautifully flavoured and balanced wines from this hand-tended vineyard without the need to add acidity or finings; hence the vegan and vegetarian friendly status.
Mount Horrocks’ Watervale Riesling Vineyard is a very high (475 metre) vineyard planted on red loam over limestone, a profile that occurs throughout the sub-region and considered to be ‘classic’ for Watervale riesling. However that’s where the similarities end. The vineyard is on a gentle slope, facing south. Combined with the high altitude, this makes it a particularly cool spot, ideal for retaining freshness and a crisp palate while allowing generous fruit flavours to develop. Then there is the biodynamic and organic certification – strictly no chemical input here or in the surrounding land, also owned by Mount Horrocks. In what is now often considered ‘old fashioned’ all fruit is hand harvested – better for the vines as well as the fruit which is then delivered to the winery in a pristine state.
This is 100% pure expression of single site riesling. Lime aromatics. Tightly coiled, concentrated lemon-lime fruit, slate-like minerality and vibrant acidity. Fabulous lively texture and great length and structure. A completely beguiling wine that looks fabulous now and will age brilliantly for 15 years: without question a classic.
James Halliday Top 100 Wines 2023, The Australian Magazine, November 2023, 96 Points “The wine’s highly expressive bouquet has echoes of lavender and citrus blossom; the palate is direct and intense, with layer upon layer of lime and green apple. Drink to 2035″
94 Points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review “Lifted mandarin, flowery talcum-powder and yeasty aromas, with traces of lavender, the palate delicate and restrained, refined and just faintly off-dry, with a clean and accessible style, although it will certainly age superbly too.”
95 points, Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front “Aromas break free from the glass with concentration like essential oils of cypress, lavender, lemon zest and peppermint. Packed tightly with gunpowder in the air, a type of dusty rock spread amongst the flowers and the fruit. It’s dense and detailed. Flavours are like drinking the essence infused with nutmeg and barky cinnamon, a cool slate-like feel of texture and a long cool minty finish with ruby grapefruit lingering long. Complex and invigorating potion.”
RRP $45 Our Special Price $37.50 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
Additional information
Producer | Mount Horrocks |
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Region or Country | Clare Valley, Watervale |
Variety | Riesling |
Vintage | 2023 |
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