O’Leary Walker Polish Hill River Riesling 2022

The twin to the glorious Watervale, as is so often the case with these two Clare Valley sub-regions, the Polish Hill River bottling is the less forthcoming of the pair on release, but it has all the attributes to ensure it is the longer-lived of the pair (although these two will age for so long in a good cellar, that seems irrelevant). The vineyards, farmed organically for decades, are grey loam over sandstone and slate, with the topsoil littered with rock. As the guys say, it shows just how tough the vines here must been to produce the elite level of fruit that they do. The team sees the slate of the Polish Hill River, as opposed to the limestone of Watervale, providing the different styles between the two. Harvest takes place at night to ensure cool conditions. The fruit is de-stemmed, crushed and gently pressed. The free-run juice and a pressings component are all kept separate in stainless steel tanks. The juice is chilled, settled and racked, before yeast is added and a cool fermentation takes place over a period of 10 to 14 days.

The wine is not as expressive as the Watervale at this early stage but that will come. The colour is near crystal clear with the palest hint of sunrise. More steely and taut, this is focused and tight, more reticent at the moment but you know that glories are to follow when this blossoms. Limes, spices, grapefruit and a minerally backing of wet stones. Bright, edgy acidity, incredible length and coiled power. This will sail through twenty years in a good cellar and the score will likely improve. These two wines are compelling evidence as to why the team are considered to make some of the very finest Rieslings in all the land.

Ken Gargett

Contributor at Winepilot

Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.

Wine writer and critic