Bob McDonald

9.0

Initial aged savoury notes featuring coffee grounds. See if I can continue this note. Wendouree Shiraz produced from ancient vines provides one of Australia’s iconic wines. This however was a little disappointing at 28 years from a big ripe vintage. I must say it still had a full bodied palate with amazing length and persistence with mid palate concentration. Ultra savoury. Despite this I have had better Wendourees. Similar to my sentiments on a previous Delectable note in November 2015. — 3 days ago

Bob McDonald

8.9

Very citrussy on nose and palate. An old school Clare Valley Riesling with chalky, taut, acidic notes even at 8 years of age. Quite austere still. Yet to flesh out on the mid palate. Not sure this will happen. My only bottle. — 10 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

Pale to mid yellow in colour. The wine was a little cold to begin with. Aromas of talc and lime marmalade, dried flowers - a faint paraffin note - No Kerosene or petrol (TDN). A beautiful aged Riesling from the Clare Valley from Petaluma - a long time favourite producer of Riesling. With air and warming up, some yellow peach notes developing. I see HH said this benefits from decanting which I didn’t do. Drinking at its peak. Sadly my last 2012. — 3 years ago

Kylie Farinelli

9.4

Great wine with hints of strawberry — 4 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Grosset — Springvale Riesling 2024
Clare Valley, South Australia 🇦🇺

Overview
A bone-dry, terroir-driven Riesling from the elevated Springvale vineyard in Clare Valley, delivering piercing acidity, mineral tension, and uncompromising precision. Crafted in Grosset’s signature ultra-pure style, this wine showcases the region’s limestone-driven intensity and long-lived structure.

Aromas & Flavors
Crushed lime, green apple skin, lemon pith, and wet stone leap from the glass with striking clarity. Subtle white blossom and faint herbal tones add lift. The palate is razor-sharp and tightly wound, driven by citrus oil, saline minerality, and chalky texture, finishing long, dry, and electrically clean.

Mouthfeel
Ultra-dry, linear, and tightly coiled with mouthwatering acidity that literally pulls saliva back onto the palate. Light-bodied yet intensely focused, the wine delivers relentless drive without any softness or residual sweetness, showcasing pure structural tension.

Food Pairings
Oysters with lemon. Ceviche or crudo. Sushi and sashimi. Thai lime and chili dishes. Fresh goat cheese. Simply grilled white fish.

Verdict
A thrilling expression of Clare Valley Riesling at its most uncompromising: precise, mineral, and brutally honest. Not a crowd-pleaser wine, this is a terroir statement built for purity lovers and long-term aging potential.

Did You Know?
Clare Valley’s high elevation and limestone soils are responsible for some of the world’s most age-worthy dry Rieslings, often developing toast, honey, and kerosene complexity after a decade or more in bottle, despite starting life razor-sharp and austere.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is the driest Riesling I’ve tasted in recent years, intensely palate-cleansing with an unforgettable mineral finish. A true acid lover’s wine and a masterclass in site expression. Not gentle… but deeply compelling. — 4 months ago

Stuart Pollack

9.2

A very strong Shiraz. Likely needs another five years of aging. Good but overpowering. — 2 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

From the disappointing wet 2011 vintage in South Australia where many producers did not produce a wine, but, typically with old vine fruit from Wendouree, this showed well. Quite ripe considering the vintage, yet medium weight palate - liquorice and spice notes with excellent intensity. Those old vines cover a multitude of sins like a cold wet vintage. 11 years is rather young for a Wendouree but given the vintage this was very polished. Has enough guts to have another 5+ years in the cellar. — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

Often the Grosset Polish Hill doesn’t live up to its billing as perhaps Australia’s finest dry Riesling but with this 2017 it probably exceeds expectations. It is simply fabulous. Some ripe lusciousness to the mid palate amid lime and lemon notes, but finishes bone dry. My first of 4 bottles so I will enjoy the journey over the next 5+ years if I can keep my hands off it. HH said it is shaping up as one of the greatest Polish Hill Rieslings. — 4 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

Mid straw yellow in colour. After 10 years still no sign of TDN. Aromas of lime and talc. Ken Helm of Helm wines in the Canberra district would say these are well handled Riesling grapes from a cool growing season where no petro chemical notes have developed. He believes kero/petrol aromas are a wine fault and caused by sunburnt grapes. On the palate lime flavours, a touch of honey and finishes with a slight saline note. Fresh and crisp even in its old age. Proves again that the Clare Valley is perfect for Riesling. Delectable: Taylor’s is the producer. — 7 months ago

Stuart Pollack

9.3

Good Riesling, but opened way too early. This wine is a good but not fully developed. There are flavors of apricot and nectarine once open for a long time. But I can tell that in 5 years, this will be much improved. Try then (2028) not now. And if opening now, leave open 3 hours before consuming. In any event, at $25, this is a great value. — 3 years ago