2025 Clonakilla Riesling

95 ptsHALLIDAY TOP 100
A tightly wound, cool-climate Riesling from one of Australia’s most consistent hands, made for drinking now or forgetting in the cellar.

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Sale price$33.00
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Description

The Clonakilla Riesling flies a little under the radar next to its famous Shiraz Viognier sibling, but don’t let that fool you — this is one of the country’s great cool-climate whites. Sourced from the family’s estate vines in Murrumbateman, it’s all about precision, purity and refreshment. Year after year, it delivers.

2025 was another crisp, cool season up in the Canberra District, and that’s played straight into this wine’s strengths. Handpicked fruit, free-run juice, slow ferment — it’s a minimal intervention approach with a very clear end goal: clarity and drive. No tricks, no fluff, just clean acid line, layered citrus and that trademark chalky finish.

It’s drinking beautifully now, but if you’ve got the patience, a few years in the cellar will see this open up with even more texture and depth. That said, it’s so crisp and delicious out the gate you’d be forgiven for not waiting.

95 points & Top 100 Wines of the Year
"There are no harsh edges with the acidity, just a lovely sensation of talc and texture."
- Jane Faulkner (Halliday Wine Companion)

94+ points - "This is super young, obviously, but it has a weight and a power and it’s going to turn out to be something. It’s floral in an exotic way, shows notes of orange in with its general lemon-and-lime, and has a slate-like, tonic aspect tucked neatly into its core. This wine is still sorting itself out but presence, power and length are key features." - Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)

95 points - "Pale straw, bright in the glass and vibrant. Really pretty and lifted aromas of white flowers, lime leaf, lemon pith, bath salts, wet stone and lemon sherbet. Pithy, crunchy and deliciously mouth-watering. There’s lovely purity and drive, with lashings of perky citrus, tangy acidity and some shapely, chalky, textured grip on the finish. Classy wine!" - Aaron Brasher (The Real Review)

95 points - "Ah riesling – vintage barely done and dusted yet here you are in my glass. You’re a delight and delicious, even in this still-evolving stage; the patient will be rewarded, so pop some away in the cellar. Open it today and you’ll be greeted by a waft of lemon and lime blossom, waxy hoya flowers and plenty of citrus tang on the palate, with a distinct mandarin flavour. There are no harsh edges with the acidity, just a lovely sensation of talc and texture." - Jane Faulkner (Halliday Wine Companion)

94 points - "The 2025 Riesling is fleshy and yet tightly coiled, with notes of lime and apple alongside brine and scratched lemon zest. In the mouth, the wine is pure, chalky and almost austere. The texture is like stepping stones rather than a smooth path. It forces you to slow down and pay attention. It's really good. 12% alcohol, sealed under screw cap." - Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate)

Customer Reviews

Customer Reviews

Based on 14 reviews
71%
(10)
29%
(4)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
N
Nicholas W.
Great riesling

One of our favourites - a lovely balanced riesling that's perfect with Thai!

S
Simon C.
Crisp

Crisp, dry riesling. Can't really go wrong with Clonakilla, no matter what vintage.

J
Jeremy B.
Great bang for buck

Tasty, citrus-forward Rizza from Clonakilla always goes down a treat. These wines are great with 5+ years bottle age if you. can keep them that long

J
Jeremy B.
Racy riesling from the Canberra region

I'm a big fan of this riesling. Not only does it deliver on the bang for buck front, but the racy acidity, citrus and floral characters makes it great to drink young, especially with oysters but will make a great additional to the cellar for medium term (5-7 years+) ageing.

M
Matthew N.
Delicious

I think if I kept this for a year and at a stable temperature it may have tasted a lot more better.

The 2025 season was magnificent.

Good rain in late spring/early summer rain and consistent, steady warmth right through to mid-autumn.

The fruit came in pristine, intensely flavoured and perfectly balanced. Subtle florals, ripe apple and bright citrus notes.

Drink now or cellar with confidence. Watch lime and toast characters emerge with age.

Tim Kirk

Price Bracket $31 to $40
Type White
Body Light Bodied
Variety Riesling
Variety Style ["Dry Riesling"]
Country Australia
Region Canberra
Australian State NSW
Feature High Score
Reviewed By The Wine Front
The Real Review
Halliday Wine Companion
Critic Score 94
95
Alcohol 12%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2025
Closure Screw Cap

Clonakilla

Clonakilla is one of the true icons of the Australian wine scene. Since its inception, it has been one of the leading lights of the Australian cool climate wine insurgence.

They boast one of the most collectable wines in the country in their Shiraz Viognier, a wine of outstanding quality and consistency over the last two decades. Whether Shiraz, Riesling or otherwise, every wine in the Clonakilla stable are considered amongst the benchmark examples in Canberra District.

Quite simply, Tim Kirk and his family-owned estate are one of the true gems in the Australian wine industry crown.

Tim Kirk harvesting at Clonakilla Discover Clonakilla Wines

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