CLARE VALLEY
JENI PORT
As Australia’s most single-minded producers of Riesling, John and Belinda Hughes at RieslingFreak in the Clare Valley are allowing themselves a moment to reflect. Do they dare to dream that, after years in the wilderness, Riesling is back? “Riesling seems to be in a nice spot at the moment,” John Hughes says. “We feel the trend is only just starting.” Hughes has enjoyed consistent sales growth over the last few years and he notes many Clare Riesling producers feel the same. He speaks of a style that has found an almost “unanimous voice.” His Clare Valley neighbour Jarrad Steel, winemaker at Pauletts, feels that the power and purity of Clare Valley Riesling, in particular, is resonating with drinkers. “Purity, expression of lime fruit and concentration is what makes Clare Riesling so good.” Riesling put in another star performance in our annual Clare Valley tasting with the 2025 vintage showcasing the grape’s ability to produce some stunning wines in even the most challenging of vintages. “The 2025 vintage was a test,” says Jeffrey Grosset. A combination of the driest year (2024) ever recorded in South Australia led into frost, and then heat and with little water to spare and elevated temperatures, the 2025 vintage was one of the earliest ever experienced and crops were small. Winemakers talk of intensity of flavour and “electric” acidity in the ’25 Rieslings. It’s an apt description. While there is little competition to the predominant role of Riesling in the Valley, there is one white grape that is exciting quite a few makers: fiano. The southern Italian variety has been described as a Goldilocks kind of wine – not too full, not too dry, not too sweet, not too fruity, not too acidic. “I think the expression we make here walks a really lovely line balancing acidity and generosity,” says Steele. Shiraz remains a stalwart of the Clare Valley, but as Australian Shiraz across the country faces falling sales and consumer interest, Clare winemakers are not immune. It comes after a strong run of vintages, and as our regional tasting highlighted,
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The Vintage Journal
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