Single Vineyard Riesling 2023

Appearance: pale straw, green edges

Aroma: lime pith, jasmine, white citrus blossom, pomelo, grapefruit

Palate: golden delicious apple; ripe green lime; passionfruit; tangerine; orange blossom; round, ripe and rich with a fine mineral edge; good length and generosity

A cool dry winter gave way to very wet and cool spring in the Porongurups topping up soil moisture, but the chilly periods led to issues with flowering which resulted in crops up to 50% lower than average.

Slow vine growth indicated a late harvest, yet the new year brought dry windy conditions, necessitating some targeted critical irrigation. Nets went on early to ward off birds which were hungry due to a poor Marri blossom event. Late March (a week later than the 2022 vintage) saw the first Riesling come in with tiny yields of exceptional quality. Typical sporadic rain events peppered March with some larger ones happening in early April. By mid April, a week of sunny, warm and breezy weather (perfect for our reds) allowed us to pick fully ripe, clean fruit until the end of the month. An exceptional year of achingly low yields, giving complex and complete wines of detail and plushness.

The 2023 Single Vineyard Riesling was carefully selected to give fresh ripe characters, lifted aromatics and immediate appeal. Termed the “baby Magpie Hill,” it is sourced from free-run juice from our young block (5-8 year old vines) combined with pressings from the old block. The intense aromatics and juicy plushness give great width and weight.

Hand-picked, chilled overnight to 0C, the fruit was whole bunch pressed to give pristine juice which was then fermented cool in stainless tanks with a selected aromatic yeast. Aged on lees for two months to give weight and roundness, bottled in June, and ready straight out of the gate.
 
The Single Vineyard range of wines are great value as they are the same vineyard source as the Magpie Hill Reserve range, over-delivering on the price point. They are designed to be immediately accessible but can be aged for one to ten years. 147 cases made.