2023 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 Note

Tasting Notes

From 1970s planted vines. The legacy continues.

This is curious in its mark. It’s washy and somewhat loose knit, imbued with some lanolin, honeycomb and truffle characters amongst more expected and tightly wound lemon, lime, green apple and cumquat piquancy. Licks and whiffs of white balsamic lift things nicely, a touch of quince, some ginger and waxy honeycomb appear too. It feels more gourmand or gustatory than the line, length and precision usually expected from young Crawford River riesling, but in that a good reflection of the tricky growing season, perhaps. It’s wider gauge and more wide-ranging fruit and savoury elements draw you in. Perhaps best not drunk piping cold to feel the wine relax. Curious and cool.

93 points - Mike Bennie, The Wine Front Mar 2024

Drink: 2024 - 2030