2025 Jim Barry Lodge Hill Riesling, Clare Valley

The Jim Barry Lodge Hill Riesling from the Clare Valley is a classic Australian Riesling that reflects both the pedigree of the Barry family and the unique terroir of the Lodge Hill vineyard. Jim Barry, a pioneer of Clare Valley winemaking, purchased the elevated Lodge Hill site in the 1970s believing it would be ideal for producing aromatic Riesling. Sitting at around 480 metres above sea level on the eastern ranges of Clare, the vineyard enjoys cooler nights and a long growing season, which preserve acidity and give the wines their hallmark freshness and intensity.

The soils here are shallow clay over broken slate and limestone, imparting fine minerality and structure to the Riesling. The winemaking is deliberately restrained, with cool fermentation in stainless steel to capture purity, aromatics and vineyard expression. The style is typically bone-dry, crisp and age-worthy, in line with Clare Valley tradition.

In the glass it is pale straw with green highlights. The bouquet is fragrant and lifted, showing lime zest, lemon blossom and green apple with underlying notes of bath salts and crushed slate. On the palate it is taut, racy and precise, with concentrated citrus fruits supported by bracing acidity and a fine, chalky mineral backbone. The finish is long, dry and refreshing, carrying both fruit purity and savoury tension.

Food pairings highlight its zesty freshness: oysters with lime, prawn laksa, Thai fish cakes, or vegetarian dishes such as asparagus risotto or Vietnamese rice paper rolls. It also pairs beautifully with fresh chèvre. With 10 to 15 years of cellaring potential, the wine develops toasty, honeyed and lanolin-like complexity while retaining its citrus and mineral core.