2023 Ravensworth Estate Riesling

96 POINTS

Jane Faulkner - Halliday Wine Companion

Fruit sourced from the Canberra District including estate-grown and the Hilltops region. Then, as is the Bryan Martin way, there’s some skin contact to bolster texture and fine phenolics before it all settles in vessels of concrete, ceramic and seasoned foudre. This is something else and delicious. Heady aromatics wafts of lemon blossom, ginger flower and spices, yet the palate steals the show. Textural, waxy, stony and complex with a silk-line of acidity all the way through. A cracking drink on its own or with food.

93 POINTS

Mike Bennie - The Wine Front

The fruit is, of course, wild fermented, as is the way of Ravensworth, and then sent to ceramic eggs and foudre for maturation. The 2023 vintage of course misses some stuffing in some wines, but the aromatics and freshness is all here. A pleasing, light golden colour, but noted. Scents and flavours of watery margarita, salt rim included, a big squeeze of lime on top of that, green apple, some waxy texture and flavours, lemon myrtle, that zing of citrusy sorrel with its leafiness (I just harvested some from my garden for lunch, and here it is!). There’s a good sense of friskiness despite the wash of texture, the finish broad but crackling with saline minerality. It’s nice, just not quite where the wine often gets to, but there’s a good drink here.

90 POINTS

Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2023 Riesling here is leading with a golden glint in the glass, and aromatically, it is layered with lemon oil, verbena, pear drops and salted preserved citrus. In the mouth, the wine is textural and complex, with exotic spice notes (star anise and clove) and gentle phenolic bitterness. The fruit was wild fermented, matured in concrete eggs and then further matured for 12 months in 20 hectoliter Stockinger foudre. 12% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

Jane Faulkner - Halliday Wine Companion

This wine was reviewed but tasting notes are published only for wines above a threshold score. Points: NR