Description
The Teusner story began in 2001 when a 90-year-old Grenache vineyard faced destruction due to low grape prices. Teusner was born with the release of Joshua GMS in 2002, offering expressive, authentic, and affordable wines sourced from some of the finest old Barossa vineyards. The philosophy remains the same: gentle cellar handling, judicious old oak use, and a focus on allowing the fruit to speak of its origins. The winery’s strong relationships with grape growers ensure access to the best vineyards, resulting in wines perfect for sharing with family and friends.
Kym Teusner began his journey far from the world of wine, growing up as the son of a sheep farmer. He moved to Adelaide for university, working in restaurants and discovering his passion for wine. With a desire to follow his heart, Kym returned to university to study winemaking, embarking on a path that would lead him to become a respected figure in the wine industry.
This fine expression of riesling is sourced from 3 blocks in the Eden Valley. More than 80% came from 2 vineyards at the southern end of Eden just below the High Eden boundary- low yielding gravelly soils renowned for elegant mineral and citrus characters. The fruit from the third block (50 yr old vineyard of bush vines in Keyneton, north of Eden) was given an oxidative, wild ferment with some skin contact – produced powerful textured wine with aroma of wild provencal herbs and some phenolic grip on the palate.
Winemaker Kim Teusner says about this wine …““The Barossa Valley is home to the oldest and some of the finest Shiraz vineyards in the world. However, someone ‘up there’ must be really looking out for us Barossa winemakers, because right next door we have the Eden Valley, birth place of many of Australia’s supreme dry Rieslings. And if Shiraz is the big, rich and bold ‘king’ of the Barossa Valley, then surely Riesling must be the strong, sensual and desirable ‘empress’ of the Eden Valley.
“We’re lucky enough to work with a fantastic and dedicated vigneron whose vineyard is located merely a stone’s throw from the Eden Valley township itself. With a South Easterly aspect, the vineyard is perched on swale of free draining and ancient granitic sands at an elevation of 420m. The unique combination of site, soil and old vines leads to very low yields of intensely flavoured fruit. The cooler conditions (especially at night) associated with the higher altitudes lead to later ripening and greater retention of natural acidity.
“Harvested in the cool of the morning, we handle our Riesling in the winery a little different to most, with the free-run juice pressed off oxidatively and fermented with some solids at cool temperatures in the pursuit of added flavour and subtle texture. The inherent fruit intensity and fine natural acidity drives great fruit purity, and once your palate negotiates the bright citrus flavours, the wine glides across the mid-palate with an energetic gait showing hints of mineral ‘wet slate’, orange blossom, white flowers and talc.”
“The 2024 Barossa vintage saw a mix of wet and dry conditions. Spring rains saturated the soils, but cool, damp weather into December slowed vine growth and affected flowering, resulting in a below-average set across many blocks. January brought moderate temperatures, followed by one of the driest ripening periods in recent history. The extended warm, mild weather and low yields allowed steady ripening with delicate flavour development. Riesling thrived in the warm ‘Indian Summer,’ rewarding our patience at harvest with pristine fruit, a bright citrus acid line, and a fine talclike texture typical of this vineyard. The result is a wine of stunning intensity, and we owe a special thanks to our ‘mate up on the hill’ for his efforts. It’s a fantastic drink – and I must thank my sister Lee for bringing the essence of The Empress (strong, sensual, desirable) to life on the label.”
93 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front “The palate is rock solid here. The nose – is interesting, in that it shows whispers of kero, unusual in a wine so young. Lime, slate, lemon sherbet and lime leaf characters come with a particularly stony, minerally bent. There’s plenty of juice and flavour to the fruit but the finish has that delicious “licking rocks” element. Indeed the palate here in general is quite exquisite.”
RRP $31 Our Special Price $23.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine
