Riesling

An appealing pale lemon hue with lovely aromatics wafting through orange rind, citrus, florals and frangipani notes. Gentle structure with fine balance and bright though slightly green apple acidity. Excellent length and there is a hint of a steely backing. The long finish is matched by the intensity. This is a ten to fifteen year proposition with immaculate balance a highlight.

Steelier than your ex's heart. This Riesling could be mistaken to be from the Clare Valley's Polish Hill River sub-region. But oh no, it's a beauty from Orange, NSW. The vineyard sits 960m above and the fruit was whole bunch pressed with 50% going to tank and the remaining half to barrel for fermentation. Sitting on lees for two months, it's a wine that tremendous delivers purity, freshness and electric acidity. A delicate Jasmine flower perfume flows onto green apples and limes. It's now the wet stone and minerally drive takes hold and refuses to release its grip. Big love! Captivating and refreshing, make a date for a glass or two and a dozen plump oysters. Drink now to ten years +

For 87 years three generations of the Johnson family have farmed the cool Orange Region climate on their 284-hectare Bantry Grove property at Newbridge. Most of the time it has been exclusively cattle and sheep grazing. In the mid-1990s, however, family patriarch James Johnson’s son Terrey planted 12.2 hectares of wine grape vines at an altitude of 960 metres on Bantry Grove and today’s two fine whites are fromthis lofty site. The wine and grazing operations have Terrey and wife Barbie, daughter Jen Johnson and son Richard as directors. Terrey, 78, still busies himself among the vines he planted and day-to-day running of the wine arm is by siblings Jen and Richard. This beautifully elegant riesling is light gold in the glass and has jasmine scents and fresh, bright lime front-palate flavour. Granny Smith apple, lemon curd and gunmetal characters marry on the middle palate and steely acid refreshes at the finish. Great with salmon and dill quiche and cellar for six years.

WORDS FROM A WINEGLASS, TONY PETERS