You won’t find much riesling on The Granite Belt, locally the variety has it’s challenges but Peter McGlashan isn’t steeped in conformity.
This one in the glass is slightly yellow with some green hues. 
There is just a little fine sediment which you are unlikely to notice in the glass but becomes visible if you give the bottle a good shake and hold it up to the sun. This has no effect on the flavour, I’m sure wine judges would knock it down a point or two on the technicality but I drink to enjoy not to get hung up on pedantic particle particularities.
A bouquet that exhibits those sherbet qualities when both lemon and lime twist together and titillate your senses, there is a little talc and some lifted citrus florals and a late rind scent that reminds me of oranges.
A long palate exhibits very good riesling acidity – what would riesling be without that great acidity that arouses and puckers the mouthfeel. Twisted sherbet from the lemon/lime collaboration evokes and amplifies the palatal feel and enjoyment, very finely crushed minerals flow through the citrus sherbet flavours and some mandarin qualities begin to emerge, a little talc in the texture but it is enlivened by the acid drive. Some toast characters are emerging and it will be interesting to see what this development becomes. This riesling reminds me a lot of many Watervale wines but, and evidenced by the toast, it is just a little more developed at this stage of it’s life than what I would expect from Watervale rieslings.
Ridgemill Estate have decided to hold this one back, or at least that was the thinking when I was there in July. So the 2021 soon to be released will be the current purchase at their cellar door while this one sleeps awhile for a later release. It will be very interesting to see how this 2019 develops, it certainly has the fruit power and acidity to live longer. Peter McGlashan is undeniably at the forefront of Granite Belt Riesling and he sure has come a long riesling way in a quite short time.
Tasted: Friday 3rd September, 2021 without food and then with over several hours.
Alcohol: 12%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $28
Suggested Drinking Window: 2021 – 2028
Winemaker: Peter McGlashan
Fruit Source: Estate and a vineyard on Somme Lane.
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