2026 Pauletts Polish Hill River Riesling, Clare Valley

The 2026 Riesling Polish Hill River is enticing with notes of exotic florals, stone fruit and delicate spice. Zesty, eye-watering acidity underpins mixed citrus flavors and pithy textures through the long, tense finish that needs time to flesh out. Drink to 2036.

90 points Angus Hughson for Vinous, November 2026

Neil and Alison Paulett founded Pauletts in 1983 in the Polish Hill River subregion of Clare Valley, their work today continued by son Matt and his wife Ali. The now 60 hectares of estate vines have been unirrigated since 1999 and include a substantial portion of 70+ year old Shiraz and Cabernet vines and 35+ year old Rieslings. All of the wines are made from estate grown fruit, with winemaking in the experienced hands of Jarrad Steele.

The fruit for this wine was machine harvested, destemmed and gently pressed. Only the free run juice was fermented in stainless steel using a neutral yeast strain, then stabilised, filtered and bottled young to capture the purity of Riesling.

A good Riesling wine does not need cellaring, but patience will be much rewarded for those who keep a bottle or two to open in a decade or more. A younger wine would sit well with Japanese sunomono (pickled cucumber salad), ceviche with leche de tigre or, when in season, zucchini flowers stuffed with goat's curd and preserved lemon.