Ravensworth Riesling 2019

Description

‘Someone asked me the other day something to the tune of ‘who are the next generation of newer generation producers who will truly create a legacy in Australian wine … I would put Ravensworth and Bryan Martin firmly in the list. No misses from him. Building a formidable argument to prestige.’  Mike Bennie, The Wine Front.

‘As a talented food writer, cook and forager, Bryan Martin thinks deeply about textures and flavours. This combined with over a decade’s experience at Clonakilla, has resulted in a suite of distinctive Ravensworth wines’  Huon Hooke, Gourmet Traveller Wine.

Bryan Martin has been assistant winemaker and ‘right hand man’ to Tim Kirk at Clonakilla for over a decade.  However Ravensworth has been his and wife Jocelyn’s passion since 2001 .. .all fruit sourced from their cool climate, high country vineyard near Murrambateman in the Canberra wine district. Clonakilla has often been thought as the leading winery in this region but Ravensworth has gained much success and critical praise including winning the International Riesling Challenge in 2012; 2013 was judged the top wine at the 2013 Canberra and Region Wine Show (as well as best Canberra District wine at the International Riesling Challenge), and the 2014 was champion wine at the NSW Small Winemakers Wine Show. Then in 2015 he was runner up Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year.

“Bryan’s becoming a bit of a poster boy in his own right now, … And quite right, too. I don’t think we can go wrong really. Bryan’s been an extraordinarily great blessing to our business.” Tim Kirk, Clonakilla.

Sourced from three vineyards in the Murrumbateman including Long Rail Gully, Barton Estate. All batches were whole-bunch pressed and fermented at a pretty low temperature to preserve the delicate fruit. Some solidsy ferments for texture and deeper impression of flavour.
Thankfully good January rains helped vines manage heat in what was a warm growing season in 2019 . Despite this the wine shows gorgeous delicacy..
Citrus,white peach, grapefruit with hints of anise spice and flowers, more generous than the last vintages and still the thrilling acidity and green apple crunch.

Terrific aperitif, those zesty flavours will drink beautifully with lightly cooked or raw seafoods like scallop or kingfish tartare. Matches well with food with a whack of acid too so lemon or lime dressings are great . Oysters, grilled until they just open with a splash of a rice wine, ginger and spring onion vinaigrette would be something worthy of this young wine.

CELLARING Are you kidding, with this acid structure you can leave this for decades, future civilisations will unearth this wine and think “Wow, there’s some serious acid here”

95 points in James Halliday’s Top 100 Wines for 2019 and Top Whites over $25 “Displays a vivid green-straw colour. It is a wine that reaffirms the symbiotic relationship between the Canberra District’s terroir and riesling. The result is a cross between sheer intensity and fruit, acidity in second place.”

RRP $34 Special Dozen Buy $26.99