Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2013
$52.99
Stunning aged riesling from Iconic producer. Â LAST of this vintage. 98 pts Halliday
Out of stock
Description
Established in 1981, the winery is situated in the historic township of Auburn at the southern tip of the Clare Valley. Remaining small and focused has allowed Grosset Wines to preserve the character and individuality of the wines, developing a significant international profile by producing wines deemed consistently outstanding, benchmarks in their class.
Jeffrey Grosset, owner and founder, has always been an innovator, challenging tradition and questioning accepted practices. He campaigned to institute the legal integrity of the riesling grape in Australia, was a leading proponent for the introduction of screwcap closures and privately funded research into the subject.
The emphasis is on purity of fruit. The estate vineyards, which are ACO certified organic, are hand tended and each bunch of grapes is harvested at optimum ripeness. The winemaking process is gentle and uncomplicated. With dedication, discipline and the application of knowledge garnered through decades of experience, the result is the finest expression of variety and place.
Jeffrey Grosset s internationally recognised as one of the ‘Top 10 White Winemakers’ (Decanter, UK) and one of the ‘50 Most Influential Winemakers’ (Wine & Spirits, USA) in the world today.Grosset Polish Hill is produced exclusively from the eight-hectare estate-owned Polish Hill Vineyard in the Clare Valley. The gently sloping site is comprised of silt and shallow shales over a thin crust of clay and gravel. This overlays a bed of blue slate, estimated to be around 500-million-years old.
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 local), this ACO Certified Organic vineyard is completely tended by hand; hand-pruning, shoot and crop adjustment and hand harvesting ensures the delivery of pristine quality fruit. No tillage is employed and no fertilisers are introduced: 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 Polish Hill Riesling in 1981, Grosset has maintained a gentle and uncomplicated winemaking approach which focuses on the purity of the fruit. After harvest, the stems are removed and the thick-skinned yellow-tinged berries are lightly split, with only the free run (first cut) juice being used. This, combined with the challenging rocky profile of the site and consequent low yields, results in an average of two bottles of wine per vine being produced. The must is cold-settled before being decanted off. Fermentation and settling on yeast lees occurs over a period of months. Multiple small scale ferments proceed according to clone and vine age, and occur exclusively in inert containers, guaranteeing a purity of fruit expression. They are later assessed and the final blend assembled. Wines from this vineyard are never fined, nor is oak used. The result is the purest possible example of varietal character composed from this unique site: concentrated aromatic wines of great structure, with intense citrus flavours and cool slate characters, finishing long and dry.
A striking example of Clare Valley riesling. Restrained aromatics, concentrated flavours, persistent and beautifully structured. Intense lime characters with austere, slatey nuances, finishing long, cool and dry. One of ‘25 Great Vineyards of the World’ (Wine and Spirit Magazine, USA), rated Exceptional’ by Langton’s Wine Classification.]
The 2013 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling has attractive lemongrass and lime citrus aromas with some minerally notes. The same bottle, three days later, showed significantly more voluminous aromatics that are captivating and rare for such a youthful Polish Hill. The flavours are tight, fine and dry and show schisty minerality and bright lime zest flavours. It has the complexity and intensity that you’d expect: precise, detailed and clearly focused. There’s some surprising softness there that is appealing with impeccable balance on its vibrant, zingy, dry finish.
18.5/20 points, Jancis Robinson www.jancisrobinson.com 4 December 2013 “33rd vintage. Ripe, succulent, very, very bright and compact fruit. Like an over-packed suitcase, the flavour is just waiting to burst out. Needs a good deal of time. A tangible, undeniable mineral character here– slate, granite.  Drink 2016-2033. “
98 points, James Halliday Top 100 ‘The Weekend Australian Magazine’ 16-17 November 2013
“Light straw-green; has a degree of perfumed fragrance that immediately sets it apart from the other ’13 Clare Valley rieslings, and a thrilling burst of hyper-intense lime/slate fruit. Despite these pyrotechnics, the wine has the elegance of the finest china. Yet another example of the riesling mastery of Jeffrey Grosset. Drink to 2030 with King George Whiting. “
96 points, Tyson Stelzer ‘Wine Taste Weekly’ “…there’s no question 2013 will go down among the greats.”
RRP $58
About Grosset…
Additional information
Producer | Grosset |
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Variety | Riesling |
Region or Country | Australia, Clare Valley |
Vintage | 2013 |