Spinifex Late Release Riesling 2017

Spinifex Late Release Riesling is an Eden Valley Riesling held back six years in bottle before release.

Rostein, the Schells' two-acre Eden Valley site, holds two parcels of very old Riesling, one from 1945 and the other from 1957, and this wine draws mainly on the earlier of the two, among the oldest Riesling plantings in the country. East-facing at almost 500 metres, dry-grown, on sandy loam over quartz and gravel, the vines yield around 0.8 tonnes to the acre, which is where the power comes from. The wine spent eleven months on lees in 1,000-litre neutral oak with partial malolactic conversion, then a further fourteen months before bottling. 2017 was cool and lean, so it waited.

Textured and layered, with citrus, lime, florals, cream and honey, a wisp of smoke and a saline tang on a long, grippy close. Serve at 11 degrees. Roast pork belly, a Thai fish curry, or a good aged cheddar.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.