2011 Mr. Riggs “Watervale” Riesling
From the outset, producing a Riesling from Australia’s best Riesling region was on the list of icon wines to be pursued by winemaker Ben Riggs. Harvesting fruit from the Churinga vineyard (Kate’s Block) at Watervale (Clare Valley) was an opportunity not to be missed.
The winemaking talents of Ben Riggs and Kerri Thompson were originally combined many vintages ago at Wirra Wirra. Now the production of this wine shows the Riggs/Thompson winemaking talents once again united, using Riesling from Watervale, a sub-region of Clare, South Australia; a region that is home to some of the best Rieslings in the world. The vines are planted by single cordon trellising, traditional to the Clare region. Hand pruning allows the best possible shaping and opening of the canopy, to maximise sunlight for growth and even ripening of the grapes.
The region’s overall warm climate and meagre rainfall combine with soils of red loam over limestone to consistently produce distinctive wine characters of generous lime and citrus persuasions, plus a regional reputation for wines that develop and age well.
2010 Mr. Riggs “Ein Riese” Riesling
None excites Ben more than old-world style Riesling, ‘a giant’ among wines. In this vein, he thought it only fitting that we give the seventh vintage of his silky smooth Adelaide Hills gem an appropriate name. “Ein Riese” is German for ‘a giant’, perfect for a giant, German style Riesling, don’t you think? Whatever you decide, Mr. Riggs will be really happy if you take pleasure from his rendition of a traditional, old-world, German style Riesling. Perhaps his favourite creation.
