For John Hughes, the attraction to Riesling is all encompassing. Growing up on a small vineyard in the Clare Valley, and going on to work with some of the brightest Riesling makers in the country before launching his own venture, John is never far away from his beloved grape. John makes classic Australian styles from carefully selected vineyards with an emphasis on purity and site reflection, as well as German-inspired expressions that balance acidity and sugar with singular precision.

Riesling is an under-rated chameleon, and this is a rare find. When the new vintage talks come up for the Crabtree Pomona riesling, I pounce on everything we can get. 2022 was heralded as being the vintage of a lifetime for many in South Australia, but the 2023 vintage in Clare managed to bump it out by a mile. We’re almost at the point of licking the bottle just to get every last drop. There’s hints of orange peel and jasmine underlying the preserved lemon and lime freshness. Heaps of that roaring acid. Fresh, dry, and perfect to quench your thirst on a warm day.

This wine from Vickery displays hallmark Watervale aromas showing pure Riesling characteristics of fresh lemon-lime citrus, floral honeysuckle and a creamy richness. The flavours are fresh lemon citrus, with soft mineral acidity supported by the persistent and mouth-watering finish. An absolute delight to drink in its first flush of youth, but will intrigue and reward with additional complexity upon cellaring for 5-20 years.

When we find a treasure that our mofos love, we keep going back for more. Here’s the fourth vintage of this Clare riesling that we’ve featured and the first three were a roaring success. It comes from one of the rising stars of the region and hits all the notes you’ve come to expect. It’s bursting with citrus, minerality and texture. Riesling from Clare is renowned for its bracing acid line carried forth with vivid fruit. This one delivers all that and then some. Load up the cellar before it’s gone!

Just over 20 years ago, Claymore Wines was humbly established with small volumes of Grenache and Riesling from a single vineyard in Penwortham. Since then, the estate has grown to include additional varietals and 44 hectares across three additional vineyards in Watervale.

Produced from 40 year old vines in the Clare Valley's renowned Watervale district this superb Riesling shows vibrant citrus fruit on the nose with deep minerally flavours and a crisp lingering finish.

Gathering fruits from vineyards in the surrounding Watervale area, including the peglidis vineyard, this Riesling is a unique blend that is a true celebration of the region. This dry Riesling and its zesty fruit flavour, shows varietal citrus and punchy fruit characters with a crisp finish.