2026 Grosset Alea Riesling, Clare Valley

The off-dry riesling showing its mettle and pluck. Slippery texture, cool interiors of cucumber and lime in mineral water, a lick of honey on lemon, a chalky presence in texture making things more interesting, too. It's a little diffuse in terms of concentration, rarely seen in Grosset riesling terms, though the style may dictate a little swish and wash to counter gentle sugary elements. Pleasing drinking.

93 points Mike Bennie for Halliday Wine Companion, September 2026

Grosset was established by Jeffrey Grosset in Auburn in 1981 with a single guiding conviction: that exceptional wine begins with finding precisely the right place. Grosset remains one of Australia’s most focused and uncompromising small producers with four Clare Valley vineyards certified organic and biodynamic. These are farmed with a philosophy that has deepened considerably since Jeffrey first engaged with biodynamics as a way of understanding his land rather than simply managing it.

The grapes for the Alea are grown in the biodynamically farmed Rockwood vineyard planted in 2001 in the Watervale sub-region of Clare Valley.