Fresh, crisp and dry as it always is upon release. Finishes clean and dry with just a hint of textural grip.

RIPOSTE BY TIM KNAPPSTEIN The Scimitar Riesling, Clare Valley

Naked Run Wines The First Riesling, Clare Valley Naked Run is the Clare Valley label of Steve and Laura Baraglia. The First Riesling, made from 100% free-run juice, comes from their Hill 5 vineyard in the Sevenhill district of the Clare Valley. The site is elevated, at 475 metres, and therefore relatively cool, with red-grey loam over a sandstone and slate/shale subsoil that gives minerality. The fruit is harvested at night, when cool, and processed quickly to minimise skin contact. Steve and Laura Baraglia live on their Sevenhill vineyard in the heart of the Clare Valley with their three children, Mason, Buddy and Evie. After a gentle pressing and three days cold settling, the juice is fermented until dry, stabilized and left on yeast lees for three months before filtering and bottling. The First Riesling is pale straw in colour and typically displays delicate floral, perfume and bath salt aromas and a palate dominated by lemon and lime. The wine has a steely acid backbone which offers a firm assurance that it will age elegantly for many years from vintage.

Lush, almost tropical aromas of pineapple, bananas and melon - the palate exhibits steely minerally flavours without being overly acidic. An excellent advertisement for Clare Riesling.

Jeff Grosset's Rieslings are amongst the most sought after in Australia. The Polish Hill is superb with intense lingering citrus flavours lively natural acidity and a crisp dry finish. The remarkable think about Jeff's Rieslings are their phenomenal ability to age so very gracefully and will reward the very patient.

Riesling is the most important grape for the Clare region and the Clare examples are some of the best the country produces. This is a beautiful example displaying excellent fruit definition with the typical lime, citrus peel and talc notes and is another classic in the making.

"The high prices paid across Australia for riesling suggests its long-discussed renaissance is now a fact, and the price of this wine is further evidence. From a small single block, its calling card is the perfumed bouquet and delicate, but long, palate with lacy acidity." 96 points, James Halliday Wine Companion, August 2017.

This wine was always designed to bring new world and old world together. After going to Bordeaux to meet the team at Boutes Barrels, John worked with the Coopers, to design a barrel that would work for Australian Riesling. They designed a 1500L barrel, which has had minimal toasting, resulting in a long barrel, which would act more has a maturation vessel, compared to a barrel which would impart oak into the wine. 2017 Rieslingfreak No.1 is made in a style which is different from any other Rieslingfreak. The wine has been wild fermented in a barrel, where as John normally ferments in stainless steel and with cultured yeast. Rieslingfreak is the inspiration of John Hughes, a man who is very passionate about his rieslings. The first vintage of the brand was in 2009, with a single vineyard Clare Valley Riesling. Since then, the label has expanded to include Eden Valley and Polish Hill River regions. The brand philosophy is to represent the hallmarks of a single region with their iconic winemaking style. Each Rieslingfreak wine is allocated an individual number. This number represents not only the region in which the fruit was grown, but also the style and technical specifications with which the wine is made. Rieslingfreak is about providing consumers with a range of specially crafted rieslings embracing both different regions and styles. It is only released from vintages considered worthy.

LEASINGHAM Classic Clare Cellar Release Watervale Riesling, Clare Valley