2024 Thorn-Clarke Sandpiper Riesling, Eden Valley

Fresh lime juice and Bickford's lime cordial aromas jump out of the glass along with lemongrass, lime zest, citrus blossom, Christmas lily, crushed stone and Thai lime. Flavoursome, limey and dry, with a long stretch of flavour and a super-zippy mineral acid line. Drink to 2036.

91 points (Special Value) Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion, March 2026

The Sandpiper range is named after the migratory bird which visits the Thorn-Clarke vineyards annually from the northern hemisphere - a reminder of the tenacity and commitment which is required for long term viticulture.

The grapes for this Riesling hail from Thor-Clarke’s 37-hectare Mount Crawford vineyard in the Eden Valley side of Barossa. It’s a gently sloping north facing site with vines planted in the harsh, rocky soils of the region at an elevation of 470 to 475 metres. The night-harvested grapes were pressed to stainless steel and fermented at cool temperatures, the wine stabilised and filtered before early bottling.

About this producer

The Clarke family settled in the Barossa already in the 1870s, but the story of Thorn-Clarke begins in 1987, when David and Cheryl (nee Thorn) Clarke bought their Tanunda property and promptly started to plant their first vineyard. It was Cheryl’s father and her brothers that in the end were instrumental in bringing the vineyard to premium shape, and after years of selling fruit to wine producing neighbours, 1998 produced the first small batches of Shiraz to be labelled Thorn-Clarke.

Today, the family is custodian to 240 hectares of vineyards across the Barossa and Eden Valleys, with sites in Kabininge, St Kitts, Truro, Milton Park and Mount Crawford. As a certified member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, all aspects of their business are regularly audited to minimise their environmental impact.