2024 Nick O’Leary Riesling, Canberra District

Too easy to kick back and relax with this juicy and tangy drink. It’s lightly aromatic with lemon blossom and beeswax, plenty of citrus flavour, aniseed and a touch of ginger, yet a gentle offering. Plenty of fine acidity caressing the palate with some sweetness rounding it out.

95 points Special Value Jane Faulkner winecompanion.com.au

Nick O’Leary Riesling from the Canberra District is a crisp, pure, and focused expression of cool-climate Australian Riesling that has earned widespread acclaim for its finesse and precision. Sourced from high-altitude vineyards on the ancient decomposed granite soils of Murrumbateman, this Riesling is all about vibrancy, tension, and beautiful citrus-driven clarity. It’s consistently regarded as one of the finest examples of Riesling from New South Wales.

The fruit is hand picked early in the season to retain high natural acidity and expressive aromatics. Fermentation is slow and cool in stainless steel, preserving freshness and varietal character. There is no oak influence and no malolactic fermentation — this is a pure, linear style made to showcase fruit, site and structure.

The nose offers aromas of lime zest, green apple, white florals and crushed quartz. The palate is dry and tightly coiled, with layers of lemon juice, grapefruit, green herbs and a fine talc-like texture. There’s a precise acid line that drives the wine through to a long, mineral-laced finish.

Food pairing: ideal with oysters, salt and pepper squid, green papaya salad, steamed dumplings or fresh goat cheese. Also excellent with Vietnamese rice paper rolls or light seafood pasta.

Cellar potential: delicious young for its zingy freshness, but will age gracefully over 10 to 15 years, developing honeyed, toasty complexity while retaining its acid backbone.