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Wine Description
The Story
Polish Hill Vineyard – established in 1966 - is named after the nearby Hill River Settlement established by Polish immigrants in the 1840s. The fully mature low vigour vines are planted on a U-shaped ridge formation on poor shaley slightly acidic soils with underlying slate and a topsoil crust of clay interspersed with shale. Vintage takes place in early April - normally a few weeks later than Watervale. The free-run juice is cold settled for four days before being yeasted and fermented in closed stainless steel fermenters. The wines have incredible perfume and fruit purity, the lime/floral fruit profile balanced by a fine cut of acidity. This long-lived beautifully aromatic and concentrated wine does much to define great Clare Valley Riesling.
Top Vintages 2010, 2006, 2003, 2002, 2001, 1999, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1990, 1981
Wine Information
Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2002
All the indications are that, with time, this will come to be regarded as the greatest Polish Hill Riesling of them all. At this stage, it is an awesome white wine: as ever, quite closed on release but showing intense lime aromas; tight, focused and lean with minerally, slatey, lime juice flavours and racy, bracing lingering acidity. This is an austere riesling that has incredible, coiled power, varietal purity, surprising finesse considering its strength, and Polish Hill’s characteristic steely backbone. More than ever, it does need time to show its best. (Jeff still recommends trying it in its infancy to enjoy its youthful qualities!).
Reviews
James Halliday ‘The Weekend Australian’ November 2002
Light straw-green; the toasty but discreet bouquet has crisp apple and mineral notes, but is far from flamboyant; the palate is already offering much more power than the bouquet, with flavours running through from apple to lime and a long finish. 95 points
Jeremy Oliver ‘International Wine Cellar’ July/August 2003
Exemplary Clare Riesling, whose intense, musky, rose garden perfume of apples, pears and lime juice reveals an underlying fragrance of wet slate and mineral. Concentrated and exceptionally long, it’s searingly intense and citrusy, with forward, open flavours with a soft, juicy palate over a slatey foundation. Superbly fashioned, culminating in an austere, persistent and slightly chalky finish. Drink 2015-2023. 97 points
Vintage 2002
Australia 2002 was a cold year with plenty of winter and spring rain to support the vines for the year. Summer and fall were completely dry. The summer was the coldest on record. Fall had one of the warmest endings. All of this meant that we had very low yields of grapes and produced high quality wines. The grapes had a very good scent (nose and taste, more floral than usual), good concentration and good acidity. A great year for whites and maybe a few reds. However, it was important to pick the grapes very ripe and keep the nitrogen to a minimum.
