2025 Best's Riesling, Great Western

Grampians riesling at its very best. It defines varietal intensity but so too a fine and utterly delicious delicacy of touch. Aromatic, spicy, apple and lime scented with a lemon-lime essence quality, almost crystalline, that impresses and resonates deep. The palate brings an airy, powdery expression that runs deep and long and intense in lemon-lime citrus, grapefruit pith, apple and gingery spice married to a pure and lively acidity. Runs long, stays bright and will age and keep on going.

97 points Special Value Jeni Port winecompanion.com.au

Best’s Riesling from Great Western is one of Australia’s most quietly brilliant cool climate whites, a wine that has earned its reputation over decades for purity, longevity and sheer drinkability. The Best family has been farming these historic vineyards since the eighteen sixties, and their Riesling is drawn from some of the oldest plantings in the region, including vines rooted in deep quartz, granite and sandy loam soils. Great Western sits in a cool pocket of the Grampians, where cold nights, gentle days and a long, even ripening season allow Riesling to develop intense aromatics while retaining the taut acidity that defines the style. Best’s treats the fruit with incredible care: hand picking, immediate pressing, cool fermentation in stainless steel and a short period on fine lees to build texture while keeping the wine crisp and linear.

The aromatics are wonderfully vibrant yet poised. Lime zest, lemon blossom and green apple lead the bouquet, supported by white peach, pear skin and subtle hints of musk and jasmine. Beneath the fruit, Great Western’s granite soils impart a distinctive mineral note reminiscent of crushed quartz, wet stone and a whisper of alpine air. As the wine breathes, touches of kaffir lime, mandarin peel, fennel seed and delicate spice begin to emerge, giving it quiet complexity.

On the palate the wine is sleek, energetic and beautifully balanced. A bright line of citrus drives the opening, followed by orchard fruit, subtle stone fruit and a cool, slate like edge. Flavours of lime juice, green apple, grapefruit pith and white nectarine stretch across a fine, lightly creamy texture shaped by brief lees contact. The acidity is crystalline and refreshing, guiding the wine into a long, dry, mouthwatering finish with lingering citrus oil, florals and mineral tension. With five to ten years of cellaring it develops that classic Best’s maturity: honeyed lime, toast, lanolin, spice and remarkable depth while still holding its structure.

Fantastic with oysters, grilled whiting, sashimi, Thai and Vietnamese dishes, lemon chicken, vegetable tempura, salads with citrus dressing, pork with apple or fresh goat cheese. Its precision and vibrancy make it a natural partner for anything bright, aromatic or lightly spiced.