2015 Kanta by Egon Muller Museum Riesling, Adelaide Hills

Egon Müller Kanta Riesling from the Adelaide Hills is a remarkable cross-continental collaboration that unites the precision of German winemaking with the purity and energy of Australian terroir. This wine is a joint project between legendary Mosel winemaker Egon Müller—renowned for his ethereal, age-worthy Rieslings from Scharzhofberg—and Michael Andrewartha who owns the Kanta vineyard. Together, they’ve created a wine that is at once unmistakably Australian and deeply influenced by classic European technique.

The fruit is grown in the cool, high-altitude vineyards of the Adelaide Hills, where long, mild growing seasons and a strong diurnal shift preserve natural acidity and allow for slow, even ripening. The soils are predominantly sandy loam over clay and shale, providing excellent drainage and subtle mineral influence. These conditions are perfect for crafting finely structured, aromatic Riesling with both delicacy and drive.

Winemaking is overseen by Egon Müller, working closely with Australian collaborators to bring his vision to life. Fermentation is long and cool, carried out in stainless steel to protect the wine’s vibrant aromatics and racy structure. The wine sees extended time on lees to enhance mouthfeel and complexity, followed by bottle aging before release—rare in the Australian Riesling landscape.

In the glass, Kanta Riesling is beautifully restrained and poised. Aromas of lime blossom, white peach, and green apple are underpinned by flinty minerality and a touch of honeysuckle. The palate is taut and dry, with layers of citrus zest, wet stone, and saline acidity leading to a long, focused finish. It’s a wine built on balance, not bravado—refreshing in its youth but built to evolve for over a decade.

Kanta means “to sing” in Sanskrit, and this Riesling does just that—quietly, precisely, and beautifully in tune with both place and philosophy.