2022 Crawford River Riesling

Region: Henty, Victoria, Australia

Grape: Riesling

Culinary Suggestions: Seafood, Vietnamese Salad, Salt & Pepper Calamari

Vineyard Practice: Sustainable (Vegan)

About

John and Catherine Thomson planted the vineyard in 1975 at Crawford River, in far south-west Victoria. They were inspired by its potential to produce superior quality grapes after researching & experiencing many grape growing areas of the world. It was a relatively unexplored wine growing region and indeed remains merely a blot on the canvas. Although the area is now known as the GI of Henty.

Presiding over gently undulating grazing lands with sprawling forests in the distance, Crawford River has paved the way for the industry in what is traditionally a wool, beef and dairy region. The winery atop the hill and the vineyard hugging the slope nestled in the midst of a large sheep and cattle station that John’s great-grandfather settled in 1884. Since the initial plantings in the mid 1970´s, there have been 2 more small plantings. Believing in the fine quality of the Semillon included in the original plantings, John and Catherine added another 0.7 Ha of the variety in the early 1990´s. In 2000, another block of Riesling & Cabernet was added, which now produces the Young Vines Riesling & Rose wines. The cool southerly latitude together with the maritime environment, complex soil structure and favourable micro-climate create a terroir which has justified the initial vision.

Sisters Belinda Thomson & Fiona Thomson, daughters of John and Catherine, now look after day to day operations with Belinda based at the winery looking after vineyard and winemaking and Fiona taking care of sales and marketing. - Distributor Notes

Tasting Notes

Crawford River are one of the more anticipated releases with unnerving consistency and quality. Interesting that these wines have been part of the make up of my work, in various guises, for now over 20 years too.

This is one of the most straight up delicious releases I have tried. Moreish to the max. It’s succulent in texture, which is important, which means it’s juicy but also has chalky pucker. perfect. This one has a lime sorbet bent, green apple sherbet too, a splash of gin n tonic perhaps – all of that sounds pretty delicious as a thing to consume. It’s fragrant, flavoursome and very refreshing. Extension of flavour is significant too. It just nails everything so well.

96 points - Mike Bennie, The Wine Front January 2023

Drink: 2023 - 2040