Accolades and Awards

95 Points - James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion
"Combines finesse with power, varietal fruit with elegance - this is Polish Hill River calling the tune with that edge of clarity that takes it out of the ruck."

2016 Vintage: 95 Points - James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion
"Bright, light straw-green; a strongly floral citrus blossom bouquet with just a hint of spice leads into an intense, tightly focused palate, with lemon, lime and crisp acidity all contributing to a classic Polish Hill River style."

From the Winery:

Virtually next door to each other in the Polish Hill River, Martin & Joan Smith and Molloy's vineyards stand as excellent examples of what this sub-region of Clare can achieve. Recently the Doctors' Block, traditionally used for our Drs' Cut Reserve Riesling, has also received NASAA organic accreditation and has been incorporated into this release.

Quality soils are the thumb print of all great wines and as the road leading to both vineyards is called Blue Cutting Rd, so too is the basis of these vineyards. Grey loam acid soils over sandstone and slate make up the profile with much of the top soil littered with rock, hinting at just how tough the vines need to be to sustain growth and produce quality fruit - not to mention the work of the vigneron to ensure overall balance.

Only 9 kilometres from Watervale, the Polish Hill River region is quite a bit cooler and typically the fruit ripens 2-3 weeks later; this combined with the soil profile produces fruit with finesse and intensity. It is the slate of Polish Hill River, as opposed to the limestone of Watervale that gives rise to the point of difference between these styles. Despite growing these vines organically since their planting in the 1970’s, 2012 marked the first year of NASAA Organic Certification for these vineyards.

Fruit is harvested in the cool of the night. All batches are kept separately in stainless steel tanks. The fruit is de-stemmed and crushed then gently pressed, resulting in a fine free-run cut and a pressings component. These are handled separately. The free-run juice is chilled to preserve the vineyard expression and purity of fruit. Once the juice has settled, it is racked off solids and seeded with yeast. A cool, temperature controlled fermentation is carried out over 10-14 days. The wine is chilled to 5°C and filtered prior to bottling.