Best’s Henty Riesling 2022

Fans of Seppelt Drumborg and Crawford River Rieslings will know the Henty region, to the south-west of the Grampians. This is where the Thomsons of Best’s have looked to bring what they describe as a “new style” of Riesling to their collection. Age-ability is clearly on the Thomson family’s mind. The region’s noteworthy sturdy acid structure,  so evident on this wine, is one clue; the other is the depth and concentration of flavour which is quite unusual in a Riesling so young. A delightful array of lifted florals, citrus and spice, notably ginger, hold forth on the bouquet. A mineral-flecked palate with a slatey, chalky coolness combined with lively citrus follows. Acidity is firm bringing great line and length. Love the squeeze of Meyer lemon, mouthwateringly enjoyable, on the finish.

Jeni Port

Wine critic at Winepilot

Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.

Wine writer and critic