2026 Rieslingfreak No. 4 Eden Valley Riesling

97 pts
Another deadset bargain for any lover of Eden Valley Riesling!

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Sale price$25.00
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Description

John Hughes' deep love of Riesling shines through once again in this superb Eden Valley release.

The 2026 No. 4 is sourced from selected vineyards across the southern ranges of Eden Valley, blending the elegance and acid drive of the High Eden subregion of Flaxman Valley with the intense flavour and rich aromatics of vineyards around Angaston and Springton. Like the rest of the range, this fruit weathered a testing vintage - a November frost, an extended dry stretch through summer, then a heavy rain event that pushed harvest back further still - and has come through with real purity and structure intact.

Where the No. 3 is all citrus and orchard fruit, this one leans floral and perfumed - there's a real lift of jasmine and rosewater on the nose, plus that classic Eden Valley scent of rain hitting warm slate. On the palate it's punchier and more tropical, with a fine mineral backbone running underneath, and the vintage's signature tightly wound acidity drawing everything out to a long, crisp finish. Elegant but not shy - it's got real drive to it.

Another deadset bargain for any Riesling lover from John & Belinda Hughes.

97 points
"The palate is high voltage with salivating acidity and underlying density and concentration of fruit that will unravel beautifully with age."
- Ryan Montgomery (James Suckling)

95+ points
"It's taut, sleek and lip-smackingly sapid. The freak has done it again."
- Dave Brookes (Halliday Wine Companion)

95 points
"Quiet complexity in all this and a great sense of tension and energy. Right on. Pow. Rock the house."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)

97 points - "Finely balanced, high energy and tense with fresh sliced citrus, lime leaf, pepper and spice, bringing together an elegant mineral profile. The palate is high voltage with salivating acidity and underlying density and concentration of fruit that will unravel beautifully with age. A fine Aussie riesling drinking well now, but better with some time in bottle. Drink or hold. Screw cap." - Ryan Montgomery (James Suckling)

95+ points - "Riesling sourced from across the southern ranges of the Eden Valley: High Eden for velocity and structure, and sites around Angaston and Springton for aromatic lift and flavour intensity. Pale with a flash of green. As high tensile and sizzlingly precise as ever. Fresh lime, lemon juice and crunchy green apple, with hints of ozone, grapefruit soda, crushed quartz, sliced fennel, Christmas lily, finger lime and lemongrass. Crystalline, with a laser-like focus and a head-spinning velocity. It's taut, sleek and lip-smackingly sapid. The freak has done it again." - Dave Brookes (Halliday Wine Companion)

95 points - "It’s very good. It’s all that an Aussie riesling lover seeks, or so. Blackcurrant leaf and berry with tart lime, a touch of pickled Japanese ginger, some alpine herb and menthol notes, a scratch of dried and fresh green apple. It’s got some very, very frisky acid veins, briny almost, plenty of flavour, lots of get up and go. Quiet complexity in all this and a great sense of tension and energy. Right on. Pow. Rock the house." - Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)

Customer Reviews

Rieslingfreak No.4 is made from selected vineyards across the southern ranges of the Eden Valley region. The No.4 brings together the elegance, structure and acid drive of the High Eden subregion of Flaxman Valley, with the intense flavour and rich aromatics produced by vineyards on the outskirts of Angaston and Springton, imparting complexity to the bouquet and opulence to the palate.

Eden Valley is renowned for Riesling of elegance, perfume and minerality; and the 2026 No.4 brings all this and more. The bouquet leaps forth with intense aromas of fresh lime zest, passionfruit, and guava; complemented by floral topnotes of rosewater, jasmine and elderflower. The evocative summertime scent of rain falling on warm slate transitions onto the elegant yet assuredly structured palate; educing a foundational minerality running beneath the punchy flavours of popping finger lime pearls, poached quince and kiwi sorbet. The tightly wound acidity, which is a hallmark of both the region and the 2026 vintage, drives the length of the palate drawing through to a fine, crisp finish; while the flavours lingering lusciously in the mouth long after the wine has gone.

Price Bracket $30 or Less
Type White
Body Light Bodied
Variety Riesling
Variety Style ["Dry Riesling"]
Country Australia
Region Eden Valley
Australian State SA
Reviewed By The Wine Front
James Suckling
Halliday Wine Companion
Critic Score 97
Alcohol 11.5%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2026
Closure Screw Cap

Rieslingfreak

Rieslingfreak founder & winemaker John Hughes is quite simply making the most comprehensive, high-quality and remarkably priced range of Rieslings in the country.

Growing up in the family Riesling vineyard in Clare Valley, which John still farms today, Riesling simply runs through this man's blood. John, with the help of his talented winemaking wife Belinda, make only Riesling - not a bottle of any other variety - and they've honed their craft to a level unmatched in Australia.

They are two of the nicest people you're likely to meet, so wholeheartedly committed to their vision and craft, and we are proud to have worked so closely with them for so many years. These wines rank amongst the very best value to be found anywhere in Australia, and we give them our fullest recommendation. Enjoy!

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