Watervale Riesling, Jim Barry, South Australia, 2023

Watervale Riesling ’50th Anniversary Edition’, Jim Barry, South Australia, 2023.

We first tried this at @aitkenwines_1874 150th celebratory wine tasting event in May 2024. The lovely @scottishwinegirl showcased this wine. One of my favourite wines of the day! 🙌 @jimbarrywines

I love a Riesling, but generally a N European number. However, this is from South Australia’s Clare Valley.

Watervale Riesling is picked from select vines that manage to achieve the lush ripeness expected from a warm climate white, but whilst managing to retain naturally high levels of acidity.

So how is that possible?

Clare Valley has a Mediterranean climate, essentially like a maritime, by a body of water, only the nights here are far cooler than the days, a bit more like a Continental climate, where the diurnal range is high. This allows a longer ripening period, and means the sugars don't overdevelop and the acidity stays high. So you can retain these delicate aromatic floral flavours from the grape, which is hard to sustain when the sugar levels rise in a warmer climate.

You also have these tart, zesty flavours coming through that you'd expect of a cooler climate Riesling.The vineyard also benefits from an East facing slope, where the grapes ripen in the cooler morning sun, all adding to the confusion of why this tastes to me more like a Northern European Riesling.

But there's something subtly sunny about the taste that makes you think of the New World! 🧐😃

👃The first hit is on the nose, delicate floral 🌸 and mineral wet slate 🩶. Then you taste a mouthwatering sensation of tart grapefruit, lemon 🍋 lime juice, and that pronounced acidity.

Refreshing and zesty, you find yourself reaching for more before the glass is empty!

It's a treat with roast lemon chicken 🍗, with a creamy sauce. It manages to cut through creamy roasted flavours, giving a rounded food wine pairing sensation.

It's quite a treat! And we only paid ~ £12! 🙌👌❤️