2019 Capel Vale Regional Riesling, Mt Barker Geographe

This will undoubtedly gain character/richness/complexity over the next 5-10 years, but it's a wine with plenty of varietal character and juicy attraction right now.

James Halliday winecompanion.com.au

Gold Medal 96 points Melbourne International Wine Competition 2019

The 2019 Capel Vale Regional Riesling is a vivid snapshot of the cool, maritime Mt Barker subregion in Western Australia's Geographe wine zone. With a long history dating back to 1974, Capel Vale has been one of the state’s Riesling pioneers, and this bottling highlights why their name remains synonymous with excellence in the style. The fruit is sourced from mature vineyards in the southern reaches of Mt Barker, where chilly nights and ocean breezes stretch the ripening season and help Riesling preserve its hallmark tension and precision.

This vintage is zesty and linear, offering up a bright line of lime, grapefruit pith, and lemon blossom, underscored by crunchy green apple and slatey minerals. There's that classic Mt Barker acidity—steely but beautifully balanced by a touch of mid-palate weight and gentle phenolic grip. A faint jasmine note adds prettiness, but this is a wine with serious bones and drive, built more for precision than florals.

Winemaker Simon Burnell keeps the style clean and expressive, leaning into wild fermentation and minimal intervention to let the site do the talking. The 2019 season delivered cool conditions and modest yields, translating to wines of focus and finesse, and this Riesling delivers both in spades.

This is a natural fit for oysters with a mignonette, Thai green curry, or chargrilled squid with lemon and parsley. It will continue to evolve gracefully over 10 to 12 years, developing richer toast and honeyed characters while retaining that electric backbone.