2024 Vickery Watervale Riesling, Clare Valley

Pale with a flash of green in the glass. Pristine aromas of freshly squeezed lime and green apple with hints of clover, citrus blossom, crushed stone, makrut lime and lemongrass. Tautly stretched and mineral-laden, there is some great concentration of lime here and a super nervy, precise finish travelling bone-dry and refreshing.

93 points Dave Brookes Special Value winecompanion.com.au

Vickery Watervale Riesling from Clare Valley is a beautifully crafted cool-climate white wine that showcases the purity, precision, and longevity for which the region’s Rieslings are renowned. Named after the late John Vickery, one of Australia’s most influential Riesling winemakers, this wine continues his legacy under the guidance of chief winemaker Keeda Zilm. Sourced from premium vineyards in the Watervale subregion, known for its limestone-rich soils and cool nights, this Riesling offers vibrant aromatics, crisp acidity, and exceptional balance.

Pale straw in color with green hues, the nose is intensely fragrant, bursting with aromas of lime zest, lemon blossom, and white peach, alongside delicate notes of jasmine and wet slate. The palate is precise and energetic, delivering a mouthwatering combination of citrus, green apple, and mineral-driven complexity. A fine acid backbone ensures structure and drive, leading to a long, clean finish with lingering notes of lime pith and crushed stone.

This Watervale Riesling is a natural match for freshly shucked oysters, grilled prawns, or Thai-spiced seafood. Its bright acidity and mineral edge also complement creamy goat cheese, crisp salads, and lightly spiced Asian dishes. While delicious in its youth for its freshness and vibrancy, it has the potential to evolve over the next 10–15 years, developing richer honeyed and toasty notes.

Fruit for the 2024 Riesling is a sub-regional blend from the vineyards of our dedicated growers. The 2024 growing season was cool, with moderate rainfall, these conditions allowing the fruit to hang a little longer on the vine, as is the Vickery way, without climatic or disease pressure, but facilitating full varietal expression.

After walking the vineyards and tasting for fruit and flavour ripeness, Keeda decided that the first pick would be on March 16th with all fruit off the vines by March 25th – a very compact timeframe. This small window presented idyllic harvesting conditions with the cool, dry nights that Clare is famous for. Immediately after harvest, the fruit was taken to the winery at Watervale for pressing to avoid extended skin contact. The Vickery style utilises pressings material in the final blend to add flavour to the wine, with the press-cut happening a lot earlier than normal to retain flavour without bitter phenolics.