Product information

Rieslingfreak No.4 Eden Valley 2017

Riesling from Eden Valley, South Australia, Australia

$28

$26ea in any 3+
$24ea in any 6+
Closure: Screw Cap
The purity, exceptional texture, and, pinpoint perfect balance are the stand out traits of every Rieslingfreak wine!

Description

At Riesling Down Under, our bi-annual International Riesling Conference,  amongst some of the best Rieslings from NZ, Austria, France, Germany, and, Australia, the wines from Rieslingfreak held their own. With fruit from some of the best vineyards in Eden Valley this is fast becoming one of Australia most consistently delicious Rieslings.

“2017 has to be one of the most exciting vintages I have ever seen with Riesling. We had three or four extra weeks on the vines for the grapes to really develop. In my experience, the bigger the berries the better the Riesling” John Hughes AKA Rieslingfreak.

We also have John’s Polish Hill Riesling from 2017.

Out of stock

Check out all of the wines by Rieslingfreak

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

The Vineyards

Fruit for the Eden Valley Riesling is sourced from two vineyards situated between Eden Valley and Flaxman’s Valley. One Riesling vineyard is owned by Michael Mason, situated approximately 3kms north-west of the Eden Valley township. The vineyard is planted on shallow grey sandy loam over shale rock soil, and situated 450m above sea level. The average yearly rainfall is 700mm. The other vineyard is owned by Ben Zander, who is a grower for many well known and regarded Eden Valley Rieslings. The Zander vineyard is situated in Flaxman’s Valley 500m above sea level, soils loam over light medium clay, with high quartz rock and gravel content. The vineyard has a rainfall of approximately 650mm per year.

Why we waited?

This baby needed time! Show judging is but a snapshot in time. Wines have to be called on face value at the time. This is when gems like Rieslingfreak’s wines can sometimes slip below the radar. A Gold medal a year ago may well have been 5 trophies today!

The passage of times does amazing things to wine, Riesling, is no different from any other variety. In fact I have a large stash of Riesling from around the world from my daughters’ birth years. Waiting for just an extra 12months will see this wine settle and give a little more of itself, wait another few years and it’ll be taken to the next level!

John’s RieslingFreak 2017 No. 3 Clare Valley Riesling won five major awards and trophies at the recent Royal Sydney Wine Show including Best Wine of the Show.

The wine quickly sold out, but fortunately John made seven rieslings from this vintage, from super dry to off dry/mildly sweet styles; there’s no better version to pose the question of premature release than the RieslingFreak 2017 No. 2 Polish Hill River Riesling ($35).

The Rieslingfreak No. 2 smacks of tart green apples with heaps of lemon juice squeezed over the top and has an extraordinary tingle on the tongue. But it might appear lean on flavour, and that acidity is going to hurt if you’re not used to the style, compared to more generous, user-friendly (when young) styles like the award-winning No. 3.

The battle, says, John, is a consumer perception that whites are designed to be drunk young, and there’s a lot of pressure to meet that demand as early as possible.

“The No. 2 can be consumed now, but I feel that at about 12 months of age will be where this wine really should be released and would be more appreciated,” John says. August 2017.

Landmark

Few Australian winemakers have the deft touch or interest in utilising definitive residual sugar in riesling wines, but John Hughes emphatically does. Ever thoughtful, applying judicious sugar to acid balance in winemaking, producing increasingly landmark wines. Indeed, recent showings at international riesling conferences have had many of the German set attending nodding sagely, and the wines showing superbly amongst peers. Here’s another excellent release, and despite the chat prior regarding sugar, this is pretty much bone dry, or feels that way.

Mike Bennie

Where in the world does the magic happen?

Rieslingfreak, Roenfeldt Drive, Tanunda, South Australia, Australia

Eden Valley
South Australia
Australia

More Yummy Wines!

DRY
The 2017 Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Raffes is the essence of gray slate. Bright in color and flavors but also intense and intermixed with lemon-fresh stony notes, this is a concentrated yet pure, fresh and finessed, highly intense and refined Riesling with great length and an endless finish. This is a powerful but Auslese-styled Riesling with concentration, finesse and lots of power but no alcoholic impression. The wine was bottled with 13% alcohol and almost nine grams of residual sugar.
$280
$270ea in any 3+
$260ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info

Roagna Timorasso Derthona Montemarzino 2017

Timorasso | Colli Tortonesi, Italy

A grape variety saved by saved by Massa & on the rise! With Vietti and Roagna adding their names to the few making Timorasso, it's clear something special is happening in Derthona (the old name for Tortona). I've tried the Massa's entry level version and loved its flavours and textures. Can't wait to try Roagna's version.
$166
$159ea in any 3+
$152ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info
Diam. Following the 2017 harvest, Leroux managed something of a coup when he won a hard-fought tender and was able to add to his Estate holdings in Meursault. While the purchase included a small selection of village plots (including Clos du Village) the real prizes were the well-sited parcels in Volany Santenots (Les Plures), Meursault-Blagny and a slice of Charmes, lying directly beneath Perrières. It’s a sliver of vines in the upper (dessus) portion of the vineyard, a section that has been
$410
$395ea in any 3+
$380ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info
Bougros sits on a very steep slope, with a gradient of more than 30%, facing due south at the foot of the hill. The shallow soil, a mixture of clay and gravel, prevents excessive yields resulting in complex, robust wines.
$254
$244ea in any 3+
$234ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info