To smell and taste, this wine is redolent of all things citrus; the perfume of orange blossom, the tangy scent of Kaffir lime leaf, the cleansing freshness of lemon zest, and so on. There's classic Riesling purity of flavour here, with the fruit sweetness balanced by minerally acidity and emphasised by exceptional length on the palate. Lovely to drink now, or later.
95 points, Steven Creber (February 2019)
Beautiful wine of poise, assertive flavour and great velocity across the palate. Scents of lime cordial, talc, jasmine floral characters. A pretty, gently sweet start. Flavours coil around lime juice and brisk, grape-fruity acidity. Chalky-mineral characters chime in. Arrow-thrust to infinity. It’s another cracker.
94 points, Wine Front (March 2019)
A dense and minerally white with sliced, spiced pear and lemon-rind aromas and flavours. Medium to full body. Very fruity and fresh. Vivid acidity. Dry and intense.
93 points, JamesSuckling.com (June 2019)
"To smell and taste this wine is redolent of all things citrus; the perfume of orange blossom, the tangy scent of Kaffir lime leaf, the cleansing freshness of lemon zest, and so on. There's classic riesling purity of flavour here, with the fruit sweetness balanced by minerally acidity and emphasised by exceptional length on the palate. Lovely to drink now, or later."
95 points, Steven Creber, Wine Companion (February 2019)
"Beautiful wine of poise, assertive flavour and great velocity across the palate. Scents of lime cordial, talc, jasmine floral characters. A pretty, gently sweet start. Flavours coil around lime juice and brisk, grape-fruity acidity. Chalky-mineral characters chime in. Arrow-thrust to infinity. It’s another cracker."
94 points, The Wine Front (March 2019)
"A dense and minerally white with sliced, spiced pear and lemon-rind aromas and flavors. Medium to full body. Very fruity and fresh. Vivid acidity. Dry and intense."
93 points, jamessuckling.com (June 2019)
Canberra District
Vines were first planted in the Canberra District in 1971 near Lake George by Dr Edgar Riek. The district is roughly divided into two areas, one in the Yass Valley around Murrumbateman and the other around Lake George and Bungendore. Canberra District has a cool continental climate with hot dry summers necessitating irrigation. A region of rolling hills, with elevations varying between 300 and 800 metres, means that spring frost is a real hazard, making site selection crucial. Small producers dominate the region, making handcrafted, high-quality wines particularly from Riesling, Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz.
Clonakilla
The story of Clonakilla is one of risk and ingenuity, of vision, generosity and faith. Founded in 1971, Clonakilla grew from a small, struggling boutique winery in the marginal wine region of Murrumbateman to become an icon of ultra-fine Australian wine. Under the skilled winemaking of Chief Winemaker Tim Kirk, Clonakilla’s remarkable flagship wine, the Langton’s Classified ‘Exceptional’ Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier has risen to become a definitive example of its genre. Clonakilla also produces a number of superb whites including Riesling, Chardonnay and Viognier alongside its range of superbly crafted cool climate reds.
