2025 Rieslingfreak No 2 Polish Hill River Riesling, Clare Valley

Rieslingfreak No 2 Polish Hill River Riesling from Clare Valley is a strikingly elegant and finely structured wine that showcases one of Australia’s most revered terroirs for Riesling. Crafted by John Hughes, whose entire Rieslingfreak project is dedicated to exploring site and style through Riesling alone, No 2 captures the refined power, minerality and ageworthiness of Polish Hill River fruit.

The vineyard source for No 2 lies in the heart of Polish Hill River, east of the Clare township. This subregion is defined by its slate and shale-rich soils, high elevation (over 460 metres), and consistently cool nights. These conditions contribute to smaller berries, thicker skins and natural acidity retention, producing wines with taut structure and restrained, citrus-driven aromatics.

Hughes ferments No 2 to complete dryness in stainless steel using neutral yeast to preserve purity. It’s one of the most tightly coiled wines in his range, built for longevity, and often benefits from decanting even in its youth. There’s no oak or lees influence—this is about expressing vineyard character in its purest form.

The nose is intensely focused, showing lime pith, green apple skin, talcum powder and white florals, with hints of bath salts and wet slate. On the palate, it’s razor-sharp and beautifully linear, with flinty minerality supporting flavours of lime zest, lemon juice and crushed herbs. The acidity is high but finely tuned, giving the wine a sense of tension and drive through to a long, steely finish.

While thrilling now for lovers of dry, mineral Riesling, No 2 is made to evolve. Over 10 to 15 years, it will develop layers of beeswax, toast and candied citrus while retaining its spine of acidity and sense of place.

Pair it with oysters, fresh crab with finger lime, sushi, or delicate Vietnamese dishes like prawn rice paper rolls or lemongrass chicken. It's also excellent alongside washed rind cheeses or mildly spiced Indian curries.

Rieslingfreak No 2 is widely respected by critics for its precision and ageability and often features in lists of Australia’s best dry Rieslings.