Our Rieslings

Rieslingfreak No.1 Grounds of Grandeur Riesling

Grounds of Grandeur pays respect to both the vineyard and the grower of the Riesling. Made from a single vineyard, Rieslingfreak No.1 is only made in exceptional vintages, when both climatic conditions and vineyard expressions are superior.

The grapes are hand harvested, chilled for 48 hours before whole bunch pressing. As the grapes are hand harvested, we need to press. The berries are pressed to 420L per tonne, only extracting the virgin juice. The juice is then settled in tank, before racking into a 1500L barrel. The juice then goes through a wild fermentation. The wine is then held in barrel for a minimum of 12 months, before being bottled.

The 2017 vintage is grown by Richard and Anne Hughes at White Hutt.

Rieslingfreak No.2 Polish Hill River Riesling

Rieslingfreak No.2 is a dry Riesling, showcasing many of the refinements typical of the Polish Hill River. The limestone and shale rock soil profile are reflected in the wine with mineral and slate notes, green apple flavours, and underlying green citrus characters, predominantly lemons and grapefruit. Wines from this vineyard can be consumed upon release, or cellared for many years.

Rieslingfreak No.3 Clare Valley Riesling

Made from the family vineyard, White Hutt, Clare Valley. The heavy red clay soils contribute to the fruit intensity of this wine. No.3 is a fruit driven style of Riesling. Classic flavours of this vineyard include ripe lemon and limes and some melon and tropical fruit notes.  The Riesling drinks well young, but will also reward with cellaring.

Rieslingfreak No.4 Eden Valley Riesling

Eden Valley Rieslings often showcase delicacy and refinement. Rieslingfreak No.4 typically demonstrates this, by the wine showing aromas of citrus and white blossom, with flavours of brown limes and lemons, with a background of sweet spice.  The wine drinks well young, but will reward with cellaring.

Rieslingfreak No.5 Clare Valley Off Dry Riesling

Rieslingfreak No.5, like No.3 is made from the family vineyard, but with the grapes harvested from a vineyard with lighter soils therefore providing a lighter style of wine.

The  grapes are harvested earlier in the season, to provide a wine that is slightly less in alcohol. Being ‘off dry’ the sugar level can vary each vintage, pending on the season, normally between 11-15g/L. The sugar is balanced nicely with the acid, providing a fruit driven style with a hint of sweetness. The wine drinks well on release, or will reward with cellaring.

Rieslingfreak No.6 Clare Valley Aged Release Riesling

Made from the family vineyard, White Hutt, Clare Valley. Harvested from the same block as the No.5, the wine is fermented dry, and made in a style that will allow the wine to cellar for many years.

The wine is bottled in the same year of vintage, and then cellared, being released at 5 years of age. This careful cellaring slowly develops the wine to show notes of butter, toast and ripe citrus flavours. The wine is intended for enjoyment upon release, but will also reward with further cellaring.

Rieslingfreak No.7 Clare Valley Fortified Riesling

Made from the family vineyards, White Hutt, Clare Valley. Harvested at the same time as Rieslingfreak No.3. The juice is only partially fermented to 7-8 baume (approx. 140g/L sugar) and then fortified using a combination of 3 year old brandy spirit and neutral spirit. The wine is then stored in old oak casks to develop for 2 to 4 years, prior to bottling. The wine looks similar to a white port, whilst still retaining the Riesling aromatics and flavours.

Rieslingfreak No.8 Polish Hill River Schatzkammer Riesling

Rieslingfreak No.8 is harvested from the Polish Hill River vineyard. Schatzkammer is a German word meaning ‘ Treasure Chamber’. This is where German Winemakers store their treasured wines. The No.8 is made in a German Kabinett style. Due to European labelling laws, we are not legally allowed to use the word ‘Kabinett’ on wine labels. Therefore, I have used the work Schatzkammer, a play on the word Kabinett, and it is my treasured wine!

Harvested early in the season, the wine is low in alcohol. Made in a sweet Kabinett style, the wine also retains great amounts of acid, balancing out the sweetness and fruit perfectly.

Rieslingfreak No.9 Clare Valley Sekt Riesling

Rieslingfreak No.9 is made from the family vineyards, but with the fruit selected from the coolest site that experience slow ripening, with high natural acidity.

Rieslingfreak No.9 Sekt Riesling is made in Méthode Traditionelle style, from grapes harvested early and fermented dry. The wine is then left on lees for a short period of time to develop complex flavours. The wine then undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle.  The wine is stored on yeast lees, cellared for a period of time, normally around 30 to 36 months, prior to dégorgement and prepared for sale. The wine is a dry style, which shows good Riesling aromatics together with yeasty notes developed from aging on lees.

Rieslingfreak No.10 Zenit Riesling

Zenit is a German name, meaning pinnacle. No.10 is made on selected years, and is a blend of regions. The wine is put together by my wife Belinda, who is also a winemaker, and myself. We blend both regions and vineyards, making a wine that we believe best represents the vintage.

Rieslingfreak No.33 Clare Valley Growers Riesling

Rieslingfreak No.33 is incorporates both our growers in the Clare Valley. Richard and Anne Hughes (John’s Parents) and Robert and Lyn Jaeschke from Polish Hill River. Situated on the flats in the middle of a valley, White Hutt vineyard has its own very unique microclimate. The vineyard is planted on heavy loam and red terra rossa soil, with limestone subsoil. It is situated 500m above sea level, with an average rainfall of 550mm. The heavy red soils in the vineyard contributing to the fruit generosity seen in this wine. The Polish Hill River in the wine, provides the wine with an acid profile and drive. The wine is made in a generous and refreshing fruit driven style with a soft, velvety palate of exceptional length. It has classic flavors of ripe lemon and lime and some tropical fruit notes. It drinks well young, but will also reward with cellaring

Rieslingfreak No.44 Eden Valley Riesling

Fruit for this Eden Valley Riesling is sourced from three different vineyards situated between Eden Valley and Flaxman’s Valley. Two vineyards in Flaxman Valley, being Ben Zander and Michael Mason. Milton Tscharke has a small vineyard situated in the heart of the Eden Valley. The vineyards are situated approximately 500m above sea level, and an average yearly rainfall of 650mm. The soils vary from shallow grey sandy loam over shale rock, to loam soil over light medium clay, with high quartz rock and gravel content. Each vineyard contributes something different to the wine. Eden Valley Rieslings often showcase delicacy and refinement. Rieslingfreak No.44 typically demonstrates this, with aromas of citrus, talcum powder and white blossom, and flavors of lime and lemon, with a background of sweet spice. The wine drinks well young, but will reward with cellaring.

Rieslingfreak No.99 Out of the Square Riesling

Rieslingfreak No.99 ‘Out of the Square’ Riesling is my ‘playground’ Riesling. The label No.99 allows me to experimentation with grape growing and winemaking. No.99 is all about trying something different, and finding an alternative way of expressing the Riesling grape. Pending on the success of the wine, will depend if the wine is allocated a ‘real’ number in the Rieslingfreak collection.

The 2019 was fermented with wild-type “Exotic” yeast strains for maximum funk and texture. The wine was then stored in large format oak for 12 month, creating a stark counterpoint to the usual finesse and fruit-forward purity of Clare Valley Riesling.

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