Reserve Riesling 2021

Dry Grown Reserve Riesling 2021  

Finalist for Best Aged Riesling Throphy at WA Wine Show.

TECHNICIAL DETAILS

Alcohol 12.5% a/v,  pH 3.05, Acidity 8.47/L,

GOLD MEDAL 

This is an austere and staunch riesling, a clear expression of the Mount Barker muscle and heft. Tight, long and pure, this wine will age gracefully, but will drink more pleasurably in a few years once some aged characters have begun to creep into it. Right now; salted preserved lemon, lime zest, whispers of mango on the nose and plenty of briny acidity in the mouth.

Erin Larkin 93/100

Aaron Brasher 92/100
Pale and youthful in the glass. Aromas of lime, talc, guava and brown lime juice. Delicate and precise on the palate, plenty of citrus drive and mineral acidity. The phenolics on the finish provide grip, texture and mouth-feel 

TASTING NOTES

The Reserve represents the 100% free run juice made from specially selected fruit to enhance the purest best quality wine. Intense lemon and lime, full palate of flavours, with a zesty long crisp acid finish. Marries well with smoked salmon or freshly caught whiting.

VINEYARD

Fruit sourced from our 41 year old 12 hectare Dry Grown Vineyard. Our old vines are not irrigated; something quite unusual in these days of mass commercial production. We prefer low-yielding wine crops with small berries. Although it limits our volume, having smaller fruit fosters an intensity of the flavour, with most of the colour and tannin of the grape being concentrated in or near the skin. The characteristically cool climate of the district ensures slow ripening of the grapes, which also allows for the development of rich flavour and quality grape juice. Grown on ancient gravely loams in Mount Barker, in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, an area renowned for excellence in cool climate viticulture. Our old vines are all cane pruned and yield 2 tonne per hectare with small bunch weights which add intensity of character and flavour. Galafrey harvest their grapes from mid March to late April depending on the season.


VINTAGE COMMENTS

After 2 years of lower volumes and drier years. This year was a reminder of what vintage is always like, fast pace as you battle the weather. Did you love the 2013 reds? Intense in flavour. Well, that is 2021. Big wines, big flavours and not that easy to juggle in the winery. The biggest difference this vintage was the rainfall in Nov, Dec, Jan and Feb with 121ml of rain. A wet February saw 51 ml fall for the month to start us of for vintage. January max temp was 39.5 degrees, February was 36.2, March was 37 degrees. With lots of beastly eastly drying winds in the first few weeks of the January.

WINEMAKING

The dry, cool climate of Mount Barker is famous for their Rieslings . The Galafrey 2019 Riesling is yet again a stellar performer, and is a reflection of this unique region. Exhibiting chalk, mineral, lime and passion fruit, this much maligned variety is a stand out, serious wine. We endeavour through meticulous viticulture and wine production sympathetic to the vintage conditions to produce a wine that will express varietal characters in tune with its sense of place Winemaking is geared toward producing a wine that is well balanced, lively, well structured, has great cellaring potential and most importantly drinkable.