The Peter Lehmann tale begins and ends with community. It’s the story of one man who looked out for a society of grape growers and endeavoured to protect and safeguard their future in an uncharted industry.
Once known as The Reserve Riesling, the wine was renamed in honour of Andrew Wigan after his 34-year tenure—a loyalist who stood by Peter Lehmann’s side for over three decades. A testament, without question, to honourable business – one that continues to this day through the unwavering mentorship of Peter Scholz 43 years and counting.
The Wigan Riesling is now recognised globally, having been selected from thousands of entries in the esteemed IWSC and named Best Riesling in the World no fewer than on six occasions. A powerful reminder that consistency, quality, and authenticity truly stand the test of time.
In a recent retrospective tasting of the 2018 and 2019 vintages—further elevated by an insider’s look at the 2025 tank sample—I was reminded that this is more than a lesson in Riesling’s durability. It’s a deep, layered understanding of heritage: from soil, to grape, to glass.
A thought provoking lesson that timing is, indeed, a sacred tool—whether in the crucial decision of when to pick the grapes (arguably the most vital step in the Wigan process), or in the patience to release the wine at its peak, after five quiet years resting in the cool of their cellars.
Time is revered at Peter Lehmann. And in tasting these wines, I too am reminded of what a fine wine can do—exposing each moment, magnifying it, and making it forever more memorable.
Peter Lehmann represents the spirit of one man’s ambition for the greater good of others, now carried forward by a team of dedicated professionals committed to continuing his noble work into the future.
2018 Vintage
The 2018 vintage followed the heralded 2017 with a growing season that began well and continued with slightly above-average rainfall. Vine canopies developed steadily, providing protection for the grapes during a warm and dry January and February. A mild, even-tempered Indian summer ensured smooth sailing through to the end of harvest. Yields were only slightly down compared to the previous vintage. The elevation of the Kosi site shines beautifully here.
2019 Vintage
The 2019 vintage saw a 53% drop in crush compared to 2018 and was marked by another warm and dry season. Growers’ expertise—and their precise timing in activating irrigation—proved integral in balancing phenological ripeness with sugar development throughout the elevated, though not extreme, conditions. The Petney block bedazzling the team in its purity and poise.
2025 Vintage
The 2025 vintage was a sobering lesson in resilience, patience, and precision. Brief bursts of rain failed to penetrate the soil before the return of dry weather, followed by drastically falling temperatures. Chilly nights in mid-September brought devastating frosts, resulting in a 40% crop loss for Peter Lehmann. However, the fruit that remained flourished. Despite being a hard and fast vintage, quality levels are solid—though yields remain low. This was vintage that displays riesling steadfast gumption when in capable hands.
Reviews
2018 Wigan
Sourced from the Wroxton Kosi block, grown by Ben Zander. The site is speckled with granite and quartz and handled with the expertise that only those growers that live and breathe Eden Valley know how. There is golden Banksia, lemon and lime rock candy and nashi pear skin. A ice cold river stream of freshness and the nervy edge of calcite. Acidity ebbs and flows in a repetitive back and forth, allowing for orchard fruit and citrus zest to come forth, in between salivating swings of lemon juice. Beyond fresh this is disbelieving in its mummification of time. A creamy almond milk finish keeps the wine echoing on and on. A magical experience from start to finish. A wine for twilight and seared scallop served in the half shell. Drink now or go on the journey for another decade of evolution. 97 Points
2019 Wigan
Sourced from the Petney Home Block, grown by the Petney Family. A more southerly site with nutrient rich soils and on a steep gradient slope. Here minerality is a marking factor and in another dry vintage, canopy management and the precise picking times was crucial for capturing flavour and balance. Silver needle tea, cider apples and pomelo pith. The crack of blue rock flint, pumice stone and fresh fennel bulb. There is an equal pull of creamy ricotta and sideline palate cleanse of acidity. An immediacy to its palate satisfaction. A slinky wine with commendable purity and persistence. Here the fresh and piquant cheeses of the world will shine, served with garden edibles with crunch. Drink now or go on the journey for another decade of evolution. 96 points
2025 Wigan
Sourced from the Wroxton Kosi block, grown by Ben Zander. The wine in its infancy form is dainty in its white floral fragrance and lemon pith. White apple flesh with a filmy glide to its acidity and slip across the palate. There is a backdrop of citron and myrtle, in which you can see the shape, if only in miniature, of what’s to come in width and height. Already there is staying power, presence and poise. A tightrope of flavour, subwoofer of drive and interlocking lacey structure. Wigan does not magically transform over its time in the cellar, its soul and charisma is already here, gaining wisdom and sophistication that only time can transform. Watch and wait with bated breath.
