2025 Pikes Traditionale Riesling, Clare Valley

One of those classic whites to take to yum cha, guzzle with a bucket of prawns, drag out of a regional bottle shop, ready to roll. It's all cut grass, green herbs, green apple and lime. It's brisk and crisp, if not slightly too assertive in acid profile, though mid-palate softness happens quite well too. A little wishy-washy, but that ups the drinkability. A good bet.

91 points Special Value Mike Bennie winecompanion.com.au

Pikes Traditionale Riesling is a beautifully pure expression of Clare Valley, coming from one of the region’s most respected family estates. The vineyards sit in the cool, elevated Polish Hill River and surrounding Clare subregions, where red loam over limestone and cold nights give Riesling its trademark lime driven intensity and razor sharp acidity. This is the heartland of Australian Riesling, and Pikes has been shaping its reputation here for generations.

The Pike family has been making wine in Clare Valley since the early 1980s, with Andrew and Neil Pike continuing a tradition built on careful vineyard work and a deep understanding of site. Their approach to Riesling is all about preserving natural acidity and purity of fruit, allowing the vineyard to speak rather than adding winemaking tricks.

In the glass, the wine shows lime zest, lemon blossom and green apple, with a chalky, talc like minerality. The palate is tightly focused and mouthwatering, driven by bright citrus fruit and crisp acidity, finishing long, dry and refreshing.

This is a wonderful food wine. Fresh seafood, oysters, Vietnamese and Thai dishes, schnitzel, or goat’s cheese all work beautifully with its precision and lift.

Pikes Traditionale Riesling is delicious in its youth for its vibrancy, but it is also built to age. Over ten to fifteen years it will develop classic toast, honey and kerosene complexity while retaining its lively core. It is a benchmark Clare Valley Riesling and a true reflection of the region’s unique terroir.