2025 Helm Tumbarumba Riesling, Tumbarumba

For a Tumbarumba rizza, the acidity is beautifully modulated and refreshing – no harsh edges at all. Lightly floral with jasmine and lemon blossom, hints of fresh herbs (especially mint), with flavours of Granny Smith apple, Meyer lemon juice and zest. There’s some texture with tangy, juicy acidity yet a softness across the palate. It’s the perfect drink to pour and enjoy on its own. Drink 2025 to 2032.

93 points Jane Faulkner for Halliday Wine Companion, December 2025

Ultra pale lemon colour. White flowers, lime juice and sweet pastry aromas. Fresh and vibrant, sweet lime and floral notes lifted by lively acidity into a long finish with pleasing suppleness. Drink 2025 to 2035

92 points Stuart Knox for The Real Review, December 2025

Ken Helm AM planted his first vines in Murrumbateman in 1973, making Helm Wines one of the oldest wineries in Canberra District. Ken has spent decades championing both the region and the Riesling variety — instigating the Canberra International Riesling Challenge and being awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 2010 for his contribution to the Australian wine industry. Rieslings remain the heart of the range, made with the kind of quiet confidence that comes from fifty years of knowing a place well.

The fruit for this wine comes from Juliet Cullen's vineyard in Tumbarumba, planted in 2005 at 620 metres on the western foothills of the Snowy Mountains. A continental climate with higher annual rainfall than Murrumbateman and a longer growing season produces fruit with a distinct character: a core of quiet intensity that, at its best, ranks among the finest in Australia. Handpicked to Ken's exacting standards and delivered to Helm's winery at Murrumbateman for immediate processing.

The 2025 is lively and fresh, with apple blossom, lemon zest and a clean mineral thread on the nose. The palate is crisp and direct with good length and the kind of understated precision that Tumbarumba Riesling delivers when the season cooperates.

The wine's citrus freshness and mineral line suit anything where herb and lemon are the primary flavour leads: freshly shucked oysters, Vietnamese rice paper rolls with herbs and lime or grilled ocean trout with lemon and dill.

Drink now through 2030.