2015 Mitchell Wines McNicol Riesling

96 POINTS

Shanteh Wale - Winepilot

This wine is like a long awaited homecoming, you feel the nostalgia in its aromas of backyard lime zest, wet concrete, kiwi skin and green apple curls. There are poached pears and dried apple halves, roasted macadamias and honey drizzled over crumpets. It’s awash of lively acidity and then transfers to a nutty, peanut cookie number. Middle palate nuances of marjoram and bay leaf. Always memorable and always at a ridiculous price, it’s the kind of wine ‘if you know, you know’. Drink now and will continue to evolve for another 10+ years. A wonderful accompaniment to bbq Abalone and sea greens.

96 POINTS

Mike Bennie - Halliday Wine Companion

A concentrated, rich and powerful riesling with maturity on its side, yet innate freshness as a motif. Gingerbread meets cumquat with lemongrass, tonic water, piquant, peppery elements, a touch of honeycomb and fresh nectarine and lime fruitiness. It sits in the zone of medium weight, shows off its powdery and waxy textural elements of maturity while delivering strong bolstering elements of bright grapefruit and saline minerality through the finish. So much going on, and so good.

95 POINTS

Tom Kline - Winepilot

Pale gold with flecks of green. There’s lifted complexity straight out of the gates here, with aromas of ripe lime, ripe green apple, poached pear, buttered toast, grilled nuts, kerosene, faint honeysuckle and a whisper of nectarine skin. Excellent full bodied texture and drive through the palate. Honey, toast, preserved lemon, lemon butter and grilled peach burst through the mouth within a pillow texture before pithy acidity and bitter toasty phenolics pull it linear through a long finish. A toasty mouth perfume permeates the palate. There’s loads of concentration, body and complexity here, with the structure to carry it. A powerful wine.

95 POINTS

Stuart Pigott - JamesSuckling.com

Haunting aromas of flint and smoke and a glaze of lime marmalade are wrapped around the racy core of this sleek, maturing, medium-bodied dry riesling. So lively for a 10-year-old late-release wine. It builds to a stony crescendo in the compact and focused finish. Still many years of life ahead of it.

95 POINTS

Jeni Port - Winepilot

Well-aged Clare Valley Riesling: always a treat! Out of the cellar, this 2015 McNicol is ready to charm right here, right now. Shows complexity from the first sniff with its heady aromas of jasmine, orange peel, lemon barley, buttered toast and honey. There’s an inherent warmth to the wine. It’s there in the natural textural flow, the almost opulent flavour intensity in honeyed toast, lemon curd and florals interlaid with a lemon/orange peel bright savoury spark to close. Acidity, the key to a long life, is holding firm throughout. I’d call this a comfort wine, which it is, but it is also so much more.

94 POINTS

Ken Gargett - Winepilot

The McNicol name is a link to an old family name from a couple of centuries ago. Ann McNicol married into the Mitchell family back in 1782. Unlike most Rieslings, this does see some time in oak, but large and older oak so it does not provide any influence to the wine. A deep green/gold hue (very patriotic). The nose exhibits delightful mature toasty notes. There is already good complexity. Hints of lemon butter – always an indication of a cracking developed Clare Riesling. There are also notes of river stones, gentle lime touches, florals and lemon curd. There is still quite vibrant acidity here with good balance and length. A finely focused wine, which will continue to provide pleasure for another eight to twelve years. This was a cracking Clare vintage and the wine shows that.

93 POINTS

Ray Jordan - Winepilot

The toasty lemon butter characters of mature Riesling reveal their beauty immediately. Fresh buttered toast on the nose overlays the still lively citrus character. The palate is already textured but controlled and precise as it builds to its long finish. Still has plenty of cellaring life. Ah, don’t we love mature Riesling from Clare.

93 POINTS

Gary Walsh - The Wine Front

Ten year old Riesling, not least one weighing in at 13.5% alcohol! Lime, mint, ginger, a slight petrol thing coming in to play here too, a bagel-like doughy character, tangerine and lime marmalade. My word this is  juicy and powerful expression of Riesling, green banana, a powdery grip to texture, with a lavish finish of excellent length. It’s a lot of wine, and quite unlike your usual Clare Riesling. Maybe a little too soapy to close, but such an interesting wine all the same.