2022 Adelina Polish Hill River Riesling

WINEMAKER: Col McBryde & Jennie Gardner
REGION: Clare Valley, SA
VARIETAL: Riesling
VITICULTURE: Sustainable

Adelina’s Polish Hill River Riesling is drawn from Lyn and Robert Jaeschke’s Hill River Estate, planted in 2000 at 460 metres above sea level on grey-brown loam over shale and sandy limestone. The fruit was destemmed and crushed before pressing, then the free-run juice was settled, racked and fermented to dryness. | Bone dry and just shy of 11%, it’s a more restrained release than the Watervale. Col notes that his wines from this site are getting finer every year, and this is a great example of the progression. Laser-guided wet stone, jasmine and lime skin on the nose give rise to a tightly coiled palate wrapped around a crystalline spine of acidity. An Australian Riesling of wonderful grace and class.

It’s worth taking a step back to remind ourselves what underpins the continuous rise of this producer’s offering. Firstly, the quality of the terroir. Nestled against Wendouree and Aberfeldy and initially planted in the early 1900s, Springfarm is one of the Clare Valley’s oldest and most historic vineyards. Its low-yielding, dry-grown, old vines are primarily rooted in shallow, red-ish silt over clay with lime and slate: this is a place “steeped in the heritage of Clare and Australian wine folklore” notes Col.