2010 Clos Clare Watervale Riesling

I must first disclose my conflict of interest.  I'm a born and bred Clare Valley lad and my favorite drink is Riesling, so I have been accused of talking up a wine like this in the past.  Just trying to keep a few old school mates employed.

This particular wine comes from the very distinguished Florita vineyard. This loamy clay over limestone has won numerous trophies and hundreds of medals since the '60's under the then Leo Buring label and (since the mid-80's I think) the Jim Barry label.

On this occasion there is no need for me to embellish the truth.  This is fantastic.  Almost clear in the glass, a very pale green colour.  Lovely citrus and floral aromas. The palate is perfectly balanced.  A long, mouth puckering finish (OK, guilty, I'm talking it up).  The structure of this wine together with the track record of the vineyard tells me that this will just get better with time, maybe a very long time.

Now, for those of you that think Riesling is sweet nonsense in a brown paper bag, think again. For me, the best examples are bone dry, like this one.  Riesling is great with food.  Riesling is great without food.  Riesling has great aging potential where it can develop from being almost clear, with  zesty citrus and floral characters to a much darker and far more complex wine, often with toast and honey characteristics.

And the kicker is that even the very best examples are cheap because they are relatively cheap to make.  No oak, no cellaring. Grosset Polish Hill is probably Australia's most distinguished Riesling (Langton's Exceptional classification) and it's readily available for 35 bucks!

So get into it, and keep some Clare Valley locals employed.

Oh, sorry, back to the wine.  My score 91/100.   Buy again? For $20 bucks, amazing value. At the time of writing, East End Cellars in Adelaide still have some.