2016 Mitchell McNicol Riesling, Clare Valley

Fabulous intensity, concentration and warmth on show here. This is a wine that highlights, as if it was needed, just how magical aged Clare Valley Riesling can be. Honey on toast with apricot, lemon drop, citrus and baked apple aromas with fruit still very much alive next to some developing secondary characters. It is the concentration and palate richness that so impresses, an outpouring of deep citrus and spice with musk, honey, toast, biscuit notes and an almost lemon butter flavour and mouthfeel with gingernut biscuit notes. The balance is sublime thanks to the role of acidity in perfect pitch. And the length . . .  Drink 2025 to 2036.

96 points Jeni Port for Wine Pilot, December 2025

Not long now and this cracking Riesling will be enjoying its 10th birthday. Good luck finding many wines of that age and this quality for this price. Old gold in colour, this is a gorgeous and mature Clare Valley Riesling. Wonderful toasty notes and an alluring creamy aspect to it, there are also flavours very reminiscent of Roses Old Lime Conserve with a touch of spice as well. A fine line of acidity runs the length and the finish is lingering and persistent. There is an energy and brightness to this wine which never fades. Well focused, there is still five to eight years of life and pleasure left in this wine. Drink 2025 to 2033.

95 points Ken Gargett for Wine Pilot, December 2025

Starting to show the virtues of aged Clare Riesling. Those delightful, buttered toast and lime marmalade characters burst through on the nose, clearly stating this wine’s maturity. Yet there’s still lively energy, with distinct citrus freshness suggesting plenty of time ahead. Fine, lingering acidity carries it through to a long, flavoursome finish. An excellent example of mature Riesling still with time on its side. Drink 2025 to 2035.

95 points Ray Jordan for Wine Pilot, December 2025

Mitchell Wines was established in 1975 by Andrew and Jane Mitchell on their family property in the western hills of the Clare Valley, and is widely regarded as one of Australia's great Riesling producers. Now in its third generation, the family farms around 80 hectares across four vineyard sites, all dry grown and chemical free. The McNicol label honours Ann McNicol, who married into the Mitchell family in 1782.

The McNicol Riesling is grown in the Sevenhill subregion on a steep, quartzite-rich hill of grey sandy loam over siltstone — soils that naturally limit vigour and build intensity and mineral character in the fruit. Vines are hand pruned and hand-picked, and no artificial inputs have ever been used on this block. The wine spends time in large, old oak — not to impart flavour, but to add texture and allow slow, gentle development before release. Fermented to a natural point of balance rather than bone dry, the wine carries a touch of residual sweetness that the acidity absorbs completely. A confident winemaking decision that serves the style beautifully.

Released a full decade after vintage, the 2016 has arrived at exactly the right moment. The nose is rich and layered: honey on toast, apricot, baked apple and lime marmalade, with citrus freshness still very much alive alongside developing secondary characters. The palate is where this wine truly impresses, concentrated and deep, with citrus, spice, musk and a long, biscuity finish driven by acidity in perfect balance. The length is exceptional.

Clare Valley Riesling at this age and from this producer is as compelling as Australian white wine gets. There is genuine energy here, and reviewers are unanimous that five to ten years of further development lie ahead.

Aged Riesling of this calibre pairs well with roasted pork and various game birds. Your mouth would also sing with rich seafood dishes like pancetta wrapped tea smoked salmon or mulloway in a buttery sauce. If you’ve got any leftovers, try this wine with mature Comté or Gruyère.