2022 Grosset ‘Polish Hill’ Riesling, Clare Valley – buy online

WHO?

Jeffrey Grosset’s love of Riesling began at 15 when his father came home with a bottle to share with the family. This bottle was enough to inspire a young Jeffrey to enroll in the local agricultural college and complete qualifications in both Agriculture and Oenology by the age of 21. After honing his craft in Australia and Germany, he bought an old milk depot in the Clare Valley town of Auburn, founding his eponymous winery in 1981. Since then, through great skill and exceptional vineyard management, this old milk depot has been transformed into one of Australia’s finest wineries.

WHERE?

The eight hectare Polish Hill vineyard (ACO certified organic) is planted at 460 meters altitude in the coolest part of the Clare Valley. The low fertility soils of this hard rock site are composed of silt and shallow shales over a thin crust of clay and gravel. The vines have to work harder than those at Springvale, which is located five kilometers away, and so produce small, thick-skinned berries with bunches weighing just 100 grams.

WHY?

The organic grapes were hand harvested and delivered promptly to the winery in small parcels, where they were crushed and destemmed. The fruit was then gently pressed using a pneumatic press and the free run juice was inoculated with neutral yeasts to preserve the natural expression of the vineyard in the final wine.