Slight lift on the nose from barrel fermentation and long lees contact; a fitting compliment to the primary fruit by way of strawberry and fresh berry compote. There is a tenderness to this year's wine, the silky tannin-structure is first-rate with just enough back palate weight, by way of stalk use and light French oak, to hold its length. Meadowbank's Riesling vines, mostly Geisenheim 198 clone, were planted in 2005 and, since the arrival of Peter Dredge in 2016, have surely never been put to better use. From 2017 Dredge has rolled out organic practices across all the estate's vineyards allocated for the rebooted Meadowbank label. From the estate's sandy north-facing slopes overlying dark brown coffee rock, this spine-tingling Riesling was hand-picked, whole cluster pressed and naturally fermented in a mix of neutral oak (30%) and stainless tank. Both parcels were matured on their lees for five months before blending and bottling without fining. It's an incisively fresh Riesling offering Tassie Riesling's typical mix of fresh green apple and citrus and an acid spine seamlessly balanced by 8 g/L residual sugar. Meadowbank was first planted in 1974 prior to the purchase of the estate by Gerald and Sue Ellis in 1976. The initial plantings were small, but the business was enthusiastically grown by Gerald into the premium offering that is seen today. Partnering with friend and winemaker Peter Dredge, the next chapter is now being written. Meadowbank is the purest realisation of what our vineyard and Tasmania can offer. Located in the verdant Coal River Valley, north of Hobart in Tasmania, Meadowbank has two estate vineyards spanning over 50 hectares. The primary vineyard sites are at Cambridge and Glenora. Modern winemaking influence is obvious in these well packaged, cleanly made wines. Reflecting their cool climate origins, the winemaking team pick at physiological ripeness to elicit the most natural expression of their fruit.

Rieslingfreak is the product of winemaker John Hughes obsession with Riesling matched with exceptional winemaking talent which translates into wines of exquisite purity and elegance. His home state of South Australia is blessed with two of the rare places where Riesling truly shines, and John has melded the generous floral aromatics and rich flavour of the Clare Valley with the fine and refreshing acidity of the Eden Valley Riesling to craft this generous, yet complex Riesling. A wine to drink now, but one that will also reward some cellaring.

Thörle Schlossberg Riesling, Rheinhessen This single vineyard wine comes from the Schlossberg Vineyard at Saulheim in the north-eastern sector of Rheinhessen, the largest of Germany’s 13 major wine-producing regions. The vineyard lies at an elevation of between 170 and 235m and is the coolest of Thörle’s three top sites. The deep clay and limestone soils effectively store heat and water. The amphitheatre-like Schlossberg has a unique microclimate, protected from winds by the surrounding hills, yet with a direct, tunnel-like connection to the Rhine which enables a constant supply of warm air to Schlossberg even on cold autumn days. Schlossberg Rieslings have finesse and are commonly mineral, delicate and earthy, with good acidity. They are Thörle’s most elegant wines. The Thörle family has been making wine at Saulheim in Germany's Rheinhessen region since the 16th century. Christoph Thörle and his brother Johannes have been running the estate since 2006. The vineyards are managed organically. These three flagships, single vineyard wines are naturally fermented, with some skin contact, 90% in stainless steel, 10% in barrel.

Lovely fresh Riesling from the pioneering Seifried family estate, who set up in the super-sunny coastal region of Nelson in 1973 (way before most of Marlborough next door). In the 1970s Hermann Seifried, then a fresh-faced Austrian wine nut seeking adventure, travelled to New Zealand. It was a final stop-off on a world tour, mainly to see where the All Blacks came from. There he fell in love with a local primary school teacher, Agnes, and has never left. In 1973 the couple realised their shared dream – to plant a vineyard – and have since racked up a host of awards. Today their three children, Chris, Heidi and Anna, help run the property in Nelson – a region with over 2,400 hours of sunshine, it's the sunniest in New Zealand.

The Heggies vineyard situated in the hills above the Barossa Valley produces tightly structured classic Rieslings which can be appreciated young or cellared to achieve richer, complex flavours.