O’Leary Walker Watervale Riesling 2023

Beautiful, arresting aromatics and a rare delicacy; you just know you are in Watervale territory when you set upon that aroma, those flavours. Scents of citrus blossom, lemon zest, lime sorbet and spring flowers with a touch of lantana bring not only a sense of place but grape variety. The ’23 vintage looks to be another excellent year, making it three in a row for Clare Riesling, joining the outstanding ’21 and ’22. Not quite as seamless as its ’23 sibling but give it time. This youngster is still very much working at getting it together. There’s a clean, brisk acidity that’s tart and green apple crunchy. It drives the wine bringing in its wake lime cordial, pink grapefruit, ginger spice, citrus zest and a cool slate, wet stone tang. So pure, so good.

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