97 points - "The twin to the Watervale, this Polish Hill River Riesling, from the same stellar vintage, is spectacular stuff and brilliant buying. Trout stream clear, this is all riverstones, talc, florals, limes, spices, oystershell notes, lemon blossoms and grapefruit pith. Good intensity and a lingering, extremely long, finish, but along the way, impeccable balance and crunchy acidity. A Riesling for the ages. Drink for twenty plus years and grab as much as your cellar can hold." - Ken Gargett (Wine Pilot)

95 points - "The opposite in personality to Watervale Riesling, Polish Hill is all about Riesling energy and exuberance. Organically grown, for those wondering, Polish Hill arrives all bright and perky but underneath the citrussy exterior there is great concentration of fruit flavour. A drinker could get lost in the depths of that gorgeous middle palate such is the appeal of spiced apple with grapefruit, lemon, lime and citrus zest. Polish Hill offers a mix of spice and citrus all rolled tightly into one super perky, fresh, young Riesling. Another ripper from this top Clare Valley sub-region." - Jeni Port (Wine Pilot)

95 points - "This excellent Polish Hill River Riesling from O'Leary Walker is always a consistently high performer. The quality of Riesling in Australia is awesome and you ought to get this label on your radar. Sourced from an organic vineyard, pretty white flowers, musk and lavender, lemon-lime splice isn't far from the dancefloor either. A seductive and detailed minerally vibe ripples through the mid-palate stitching it together. Green apples, apple sours, a whisper of grapefruit and not to mention that glorious citrusy and pithy tang that clutches to a long and fabulous finish, this is classy stuff and I could neck gallons of it. Drink now to embrace its freshness but it will age gracefully if that is your thing." - Steve Leszczynski (QWine Reviews)

94 points - "This is classic Polish Hill River riesling with restraint as part of its armoury. It has a stony, pebbly side to the essential drive of citrus, though hay and nashi pear characters are also set within. Savouriness gets a good run here. Length is very good, so too overall character." - Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)

93 points - "The label touts 'organic grown and made'. A fresh and juicy, distinctly minerally style of riesling. It opens with scents of green apple, lemon verbena, lemongrass and fresh dill. The palate is more citrus orientated, but in a softer framework, with mandarin and lime dashed with a touch of grapefruit – refreshing for sure. A sense of saline or brine-like mineral character washes through, too. An ultra-pleasing, light and vibrant expression." - Mike Bennie (Halliday Wine Companion)

93 points - "Really youthful, bright and lively in appearance. Delicate and lifted aromas of lime leaf, lemon pith, slate, mineral and bath salts. Fine and focused in flavour, there’s a core of just-ripe, pithy white stone-fruit, mandarin, grapefruit pith and talc. Quite generous and mouth-filling, with plenty of flesh and texture." - Aaron Brasher (The Real Review)

92 points - "Reserved aromas of lemon-pith greet the nose. The wine is fruity and soft in the mouth, with easygoing fruitiness, the flavours recalling lemon-blossom, lemon rind and there's a soft and slightly tapering finish, a touch of grip helping firm and dry the aftertaste." - Huon Hooke (The Real Review)

The 2024 growing season in the Polish Hill River was remarkably like the exceptional 2023 season, characterized by minimal rainfall during ripening and slightly higher temperatures. This has resulted in a wine that is both powerful and approachable, with musk stick and floral notes beautifully expressed on the bouquet —simply gorgeous!

VINEYARD

Despite growing these vines organically since their planting in the 1970s, 2010 marked the first year of NASAA Organic Certification for these vineyards. Martin and Joan Smith and Molloy's vineyards are virtually next to each other in Polish Hill River and consistently produce top quality fruit which highlights the excellence of this sub-region of the Clare Valley. Grey loam acid soils over sandstone and slate make up the profile with much of the top soil littered with rock, proving just how tough the vines need to be to sustain growth and produce quality fruit. 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.

VINIFICATION

Fruit is harvested in the cool of night, de-stemmed, crushed and gently pressed. This results in a fine free-run cut and a pressings component, with all batches kept separately in stainless steel tanks. 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 then chilled and filtered prior to bottling.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Alcohol - 11.7%

pH - 2.94

Acidity - 7.5g/L