96 points - "This is a high-quality wine. Fragrant with its lemon-lime scents, green apple, icing sugar and candied peel. The palate is very intense, racy, inwardly concentrated and exceptionally piercing and long. There's green apple to taste, and it's very pink grapefruit-y, coursing with briny minerality. A vanilla note curiously lends complexity, and it's saline and steely to finish, with a trickle of grapefruit again. Vigorous, energetic, refreshing as all get out. A top-flight expression." - Mike Bennie (Halliday Wine Companion)

96 points - "The quantum of Solace this year is a miserly 375 bottles. Only 700kg came off the vineyard due to frost for the second year running. Vineyard planted in 1994. This is a remarkably pure and fine Riesling. It offers fresh lime and pink grapefruit, quiet fennel and floral perfume, a distinctly stony feel to texture, with a saline twist on a flinty finish of impeccable length. Superb." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

96 points - "This is a wine that is more about the quality of the winemaker than the product itself. I subscribe to the theory that quality is nurtured in the vineyard before the grips of human hand go about their work, but like many things, there are exceptions to the rule. From a tough year, frost decimated Neil Pike's vineyard in Polish Hill River for the second consecutive year. As a result, only 15% of normal production landed equating to skinny 375 bottles. The best winemakers stand up in the tough years, and despite all the challenges, this Solace Polish Hill River Riesling is an outrageous treasure. Pristine and focused, pretty white flowers evoke an attractive perfume. Limes and lime zest add layers of detail with a shimmer of lemon juice. A slatey minerally vibe comes with the territory but the compelling thing is the precision. Such a focused wine that sizzles, come at me summer days. If Riesling is your weapon of choice, it would be a wise decision to add this to your arsenal. Brilliant!" - Qwine

96 points - "After retiring from the family’s Clare Valley operation, with a long string of some of Australia’s greatest Rieslings under his belt, Neil Pike established his own a small operation making tiny quantities of some Clare Valley Riesling. When we say small quantities, his Polish Hill Vineyard not only copped frost for the second year in a row but also faced the challenge of the drought conditions experienced throughout South Australia in 2026. Consequently, Neil was able to harvest just 700 kilograms of fruit from this home vineyard, allowing him to produce just 15% of his normal output, a miserable 375 bottles. In other words, if you want this cracking Riesling in your cellar, get on your bike. Gin clear, this is a wine of coiled power just awaiting to be unleashed. Granted that may take a decade or two for it to reach its peak, but it will provide immense pleasure over that journey. The nose provides aromas of florals, citrus and grapefruit. Elegance, intensity and great length are evident in this ethereal Riesling. On the palate, we see notes of crisp pears, sea breezes and oyster shells. There is a hint of austerity, as one might expect from this sub-region. A fine line of acidity runs the length. Superb now, there is so much more to come over the next twenty to thirty years." - Ken Gargett (Wine Pilot)

“The Solace” Riesling is sourced from our own “Home Block” right in the centre of Polish Hill River (PHR) at 440m elevation. The vines were planted on their own roots in 1994 on red/brown loam over broken red/blue slate and yellow clay. Typical PHR.


Given time the fruit begins to uncoil itself from around the spine of acid and talc-like texture to reveal the beautiful lemon/lime characters that are often hidden early on. Left to age in the cellar for 7-10 years the gorgeous lemon butter aged characteristics of PHR Riesling will emerge.


Making wine from this block for almost thirty years has been a privilege. With more time on my hands these days, I have been able to find a place of peace and Solace in the pruning, growing and picking of the grapes from this lovely little patch of heaven.