Thorn Riesling

{Awards Tally}

Gold Medals 3
Silver Medals 13
Bronze Medals 35
Trophies 2

{Tasting Notes}

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Vineyard Range Thorn Riesling

{THE FRUIT}

The Eden Valley area of the Barossa is renowned for producing some of Australia’s finest Riesling styles, as the cooler climate and higher rainfall, provide ideal conditions for Riesling. The fruit for this wine is sourced mainly from 30 year old vines in the Thorn Family Vineyard, and the Summers Eden Valley Vineyard. The 2008/09 growing season saw average rainfalls throughout the year with a warm October and extreme heat just prior to vintage beginning. The warm temperature and lower levels of subsoil moisture saw the crops with lower yields than average, however these cooler climate vineyards consistently produce wines with exceptional fresh varietal characters.

{THE WINEMAKING}

About half of the fruit was whole bunch pressed to maximise the elegance of the wine, the rest of the fruit was crushed directly into a tank press and the juice drained immediately to minimise skin contact. After settling for 48 hours, the juice was racked and two cultured yeasts added to begin fermentation. Only the free run juice was used in this wine, and after a five week temperature controlled fermentation at 11° C, the wine was centrifuged, blended and ready to bottle.

{THE COMMENTS}

The 2009 Thorn Riesling shows pale straw colouring and boasts a powerful array of complex aromas, ripe grapefruit, elegant florals and true Eden Valley varietal lemon, lime and minerals. The palate is well rounded and portrays more of the same from the nose; ripe rich grapefruit and lemon tang, with delicate florals. This wine shows excellent balance, integration and length, and will reward from careful cellaring for five to ten years, or may be enjoyed now; a perfect choice with fresh natural oysters with squeezed lime and lemon juice.

{THE REVIEWS}