Jim Barry Lodge Hill Riesling 2014, Clare Valley
In great contrast to the Watervale Riesling(lemon, musk, dry) and Lavender Hill Riesling(tropical, off-dry) made by the famous Jim Barry, this Jim Barry Lodge Hill Riesling vintage 2014 gives vivid guava, grapefruit and mango tones, and tastes freshly lime, structured, very chalky, mineral and bone dry. This is the archetype of Clare Valley Riesling. We were told only very small quantities of this wine are produced, solely from a single vineyard planted in 1979 on slate soils lying 480 metres above sea level which gives a mild condition for favour development.
It is a JH94 and its achievements have gone beyond mere scores.
Last year Lodge Hill Riesling‘s won the Trophy for the Best Young Riesling in the Sydney Royal Wine Show. This is not a co-incidence. In 2012 it won the prestigious Len Evens Memorial Trophy and in 1988 the best Riesling trophy in the Royal Adelaide Show. This Tasting Team attempted a vertical on the well-known Jim Barry the Armagh years back. It is, however, this very special Riesling from the single vineyard Lodge Hill that stole the limelight of the event.
