2019 Loosen Barry, Wolta Wolta Dry Riesling, Clare Valley, 3x750ml

Critics Score: 97

Publication: James Suckling

The friendship between Ernie and Peter Barry began in 1995 at the London Wine Fair, where they bonded over their mutual respect for the noble variety Riesling. Despite being from opposite sides of the world, they quickly discovered that they shared a passion for winemaking and a commitment to producing exceptional Riesling. Over the years, they exchanged ideas and techniques, drawing on each other's expertise to improve their own wines. When they decided to collaborate on a project, it was no simple task for an Australian winemaker to make a German-style Riesling and vice versa. But with each winemaker able to draw on 40 years of experience from their counterpart, the possibilities were genuinely intriguing. The result is Wolta Wolta, an outstanding Australian-made Riesling that pays homage to the wine-making traditions of the Loosen family in the Mosel. This project is not just about sales, but about exploring the possibilities and getting people to think about Riesling in a different way.

The Riesling grapes for Wolta Wolta were hand harvested and sorted from Block 18 (planted in 1979) at the Lodge Hill vineyard. Once destemmed and crushed, the fruit was then pressed into stainless steel for 12 hours to settle, before being racked into the 3,000 litre German oak ‘Fuder’ cask. The light lees were racked which assisted a wild ferment to take place after five days. Fermentation took four weeks with the temperature maintained at 18˚C. The fermentation was arrested at 5g/L, achieving sugar- acid balance. The wine then rested on full yeast lees for 18 months before being transferred to stainless steel where it sat on fine lees for a further month.