EDEN VALLEY RIESLING 2024 VINTAGE SUMMARY TONY LOVE
The key element is its aromatic profile, year to year, some more intense than others. A floral spectrum is unmistakable, ranging from citrus or apple orchard blossom to perhaps elderflower in some cases, as well as cut yellow to green citrus fruit. Definitely, the floral spectrum is a highlight, says Belinda Hughes, one-half of the renowned Rieslingfreak team with husband John Hughes. (Belinda has the Eden Valley focus, John more on the Clare Valley.) ‘For me, there’s a rose-like floral, particularly a rosewater character, together with a delicate green citrus, lime character, rather than stone fruit or tropical, that are the signatures of Eden Valley Riesling’, Belinda says. ‘And there’s a slate-like minerality that runs through the palate, along with a more structural acid balance than other regions.’ These are common threads in the variety no matter what style of wine people are making, she says. And in 2024, the aromatics and minerality were quite pronounced. Why that might be is purely to do with the climatic conditions of the vintage. ‘We had a very long cool, ripening season,’ Belinda says. ‘There were spikes of hot weather, which was probably good for Eden Valley, because it does tend to struggle to ripen in really cold years. But the other main thing is that it was completely dry, so there was zero disease pressure this year, which is also very unusual. ‘So, the fact that the fruit was able to hang out a hell of a lot longer and, because of the cool temperatures, was not dropping acid, we developed a huge amount more flavour and fruit intensity and could still pick at a relatively low baume with beautiful structural acidity. ‘The climatic conditions in 2024 were literally almost perfect for cool climate Riesling in South Australia, and Eden Valley is obviously a hallmark of that style.’ She’s not alone in that summation. The duo behind Sons of Eden Freya Riesling, Simon Cowham and Corey Ryan, also concur with the vintage assessment. ‘We had an excited feeling that the fruit harvested in ’24 was some of the best Riesling we had ever seen in our 25 vintages at Sons of Eden. A big call, but following a precise winemaking path to bottle, we can now confirm that excitement was justified’, they say. ‘The January to early March period was dry with long periods of daytime warmth. Notably, the nights were cool to cold which allowed the vines to recover and retain generous levels of acidity critical to crafting well-balanced Rieslings.’ Their 2024 Sons of Eden Freya Riesling is undoubtedly the proof in the pudding, winning the trophies for best white wine and best 2024 Riesling at this year’s Barossa Wine Show.
It’s early October in the Barossa and the annual Taste of Spring gathering of Eden Valley Riesling winemakers is underway. It’s a much-anticipated ritual where the current vintage is revealed for all to taste and ponder what nature has provided for the year. This year there are close to 50 new wines, lined up alphabetically on a row of long tables in the Peter Lehmann Winery’s Old Redemption Cellars, while to one side another 20 museum and special releases provide a longer perspective, stretching back as far as 2006. The mood is buoyant. The 2024 vintage has been considered a superb season for Eden Valley Riesling, the benchmark white wine from the Barossa zone, grown and nurtured in the higher altitude reaches to the east of the main Barossa Valley floor region. The Eden Valley tells a different story climatically to the rest of the greater Barossa, especially during summer’s growing season when cooler nights temper the ripening of the riesling grapes, preserving their natural acidity and extending their beloved citrus flavour enhancement. On and underground, dramatic hilly country can determine specific vineyard conditions, while nutrient-poor soils, and plenty of rock and gravel promote a distinctive minerality in the wines of the area, according to many of the growers and winemakers connected to the region. The country itself, settled in townships like Angaston and smaller hamlets such as Eden Valley, Springton and Keyneton, and marked by mysterious rocky outcrops as well as magnificent gum trees across quite varied topography, conjures a land of struggle against the elements and stoic resilience. Riesling, as well as many distinctive Shiraz wines, are the hard-working vinous heroes of this unique environment, the former now synonymous with Eden Valley. Across a huge diversity of styles and winemaking techniques – from free-run juice only to the addition of pressings, from cultured to wild yeast, from subtle use of residual sugar to austerely dry – Eden Valley’s Riesling has a recognisable character.
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The Vintage Journal – Regional Focus
South Australia 2024
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