2025 Oria-Riff Old Vine Semillon Dry White

A wild-edged, skin-contact textural white from young gun Cooper David-Draper.

Price:
Sale price$45.00
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In stock, ready to ship
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Description

Cooper David-Draper might come across a pretty laid-back winemaker, but the wines he's making under Oria-Riff are dead serious. He's sourced this fruit from Fiona Wood’s iconic 1960s block in McLaren Vale, growing on deep sand. Cooper throws the blueprint for standard, squeaky-clean Aussie Semillon out the window, leaning into old barrels and full malolactic fermentation for texture and character aplenty.

This 2025 release is a beautifully left-field white with heaps of texture and real intention, keeping the alcohol low but turning the dials right up on complexity. There's a raw, unpeeled edge here that we absolutely love, and really keeps you coming back to the glass.

It's savoury and deep on the palate. Think salted orchard fruits, dried citrus leaf, a distinct nutty undertow, and a waxy, coastal crunch that stretches out long. It's idiosyncratic, unforced, and easily one of the most exciting alternative whites coming out of the Vale right now.

95+ points
"There’s such depth at low abv, and also a feeling of matter, of extract. Saline, waxy, chalky, with ozone beach scents... quickly becoming one of my favourite Vale whites."
- Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)

95+ points - "The second release from Fiona Wood’s 1960s vineyard on deep sand; old oak, full mlf. A dry year and an early pick. Well, three picks, with the first the core of the wine. This is a superb follow up to the brilliant ’24. It has less of the insistent umami notes, but is no less for it. There’s such depth at low abv, and also a feeling of matter, of extract. Saline, waxy, chalky, with ozone beach scents. Lemon leaves and pith, pink apples, sun-dried linen, cracked coriander seeds, fennel pollen, makrut lime flesh, a tonic quality, white miso, packing straw, comté rind. It’s got a little more flesh through the middle, but the game is still electric tension. The first release was no fluke, with this quickly becoming one of my favourite Vale whites." - Marcus Ellis (The Wine Front)

94 points - "From semillon planted in the 1960s in McLaren Vale, farmed by Fiona Wood who has great cache for her work. Picked late Jan (!), though a couple of picks inform this wine, the first one the major component here. It still sits at lower alcohol, thus.

The wine kind of supersedes varietal character, a nutty, cashew-like undertow taking things away from expectations, sure, some rich, lemony freshness makes its mark, but the mainstay is red apple, some faint vanilla notes, touches of natural yoghurt and parmesan cheese also landing. A gentle wine that leans into savouriness, saltiness, supple texture and a long extension of flavour. Great wine. Great drinking. One to pause and reflect on while deeply enjoying." - Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)

94 point - "The 2025 Old Vine Semillon leads with preserved lemon, wax, white flowers, lemongrass and brine. There is a little lift in the aromatic background, perhaps. The palate is textural, saline and chalky, with attractive width on the middle palate and a savory, complex finish. This wine is a little rough around the edges, but it has personality, and the imbued intention and purpose for complexity and layering are evident in every mouthful. This is a highly unusual expression of Semillon, and I like it—a lot—which leads me to forgive some elements of its construction. This offers incredibly exciting drinking, and I look forward to following winemaker Cooper Davis-Draper's progression. This wine has an aesthetic sensibility—a brief that many wines forget to strive for. 12.1% alcohol, sealed under Diam and wax." - Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate)

93+ points - "Personality. Character. Writ large. In fact so much so that some folks may well find this wine off-putting. It smells strongly of custard powder, hay, soil, lemon and aromatic herbs, and while the palate matches these characters it adds wax, brine and mandarin-peel. I personally love this wine, it keeps me guessing and keeps me interested, but it definitely needs the accompaniment of food and it’s destined to be divisive." - Campbell Mattinson

Price Bracket $41 to $50
Type White
Body Medium Bodied
Variety Semillon
Country Australia
Region McLaren Vale
Australian State SA
Reviewed By The Wine Front
Halliday Wine Companion
The Wine Advocate
Critic Score 95
Alcohol 12%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2025
Closure DIAM Cork

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