Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2017, Clare Valley
Pale lemon. On the nose, jasmine rose and herb aromas with lovely stonefruit(white Peach) and cracking citrus(lemon, lime & grapefruit) and wet stones. The palate reflects the same with zingy fresh linear acidity, joined by an intense mid-palate of lemon pith and minerality- long, bone-dry-which gives a memorable and elegant long finish.
Grosset Polish Hill Riesling is one of the Australian whites I have been keeping in my caves.An average of two bottles of wine per vine being produced, hence this is a classic Clare Riesling worthy to hold. Scores are impressive: 98/100 Winsor Dobbin, Wine of the Week 98/100 James Halliday “Top 100 of 2017”18+/20 Jancis Robinson97/100 Toni Paterson, 97/100 Huon Hooke, 18.9/20 John Jens. It is classed in Langton's Classification VI Exceptional.
Polish Hill vineyard started in 1996, following years of research into the influences of soil, rock and altitude on riesling. The site has been quoted on some of my MW studies years back.
Grosset' website writes on Polish Hill site, 'Being a hard rock site overlaid with silty, low fertility soils, the vines struggle and crops are small. While challenging to manage, the result is strikingly different.
Grosset Polish Hill is produced exclusively from the eight-hectare estate-owned Polish Hill Vineyard (certified organic) in the Clare Valley. The gently sloping site, selected and planted by Grosset more than two decades ago, is comprised of silt and shallow shales over a thin crust of clay and gravel.
This ‘hard rock’ site was originally part of a larger estate but was considered to be of limited agricultural value and so was sold off. The vines here struggle to draw nutrients from the soil, so the bunches and berries are small, and the fruit flavours lean and austere. Indeed, this vineyard exemplifies how old-rock profiles can contribute to a wine’s character.
Relatively close-planted to three clones (two German and one rare local clone), this organic vineyard thoroughly tended by hand, hand-pruning, shoot and crop adjustment and 100% hand harvesting ensure pristine quality organic fruit delivered to the (ACO certified) organic status winery.
No-tillage is employed, and no fertilisers used. A mix of natural and introduced clovers and grasses are maintained between the vines and allowed to self-seed.
Since the first striking example of the wine in 1981, Grosset has maintained a winemaking approach which brings out the best of this unique site.
