The Reserve Eden Valley Riesling 2022

With a cool and wet winter, followed by perfect ripening conditions, the 2022 vintage graced us with no extreme weather events. The season was less compressed than previous years, which lent itself to fruit that held natural flavour and acid profiles, harvested based entirely on purity. In 2022, a small parcel from the Mason Woodcarvers vineyard (630m above sea level) stood out for its unique character and potential for ageing and was kept separate from the main Eden Valley blend. The vineyard has east-west facing rows on a southerly slope which minimise sun exposure. Mason take an organic approach with free roaming cattle in the vineyard during winter and undervine mowers used for cover-crop management, eliminating any use for sprays.

The grapes were harvested and immediately taken for pressing to avoid extended skin contact and over extraction of phenolics. Made using the classic methods of the great John Vickery, light pressings material was included to develop structure and longevity but finessed to avoid excessive extraction or bitterness. The wine has been maturing in our temperature-controlled cellar until its release on John Vickery’s birthday.

Reviews

Aaron Brasher, The Real Review

95 / 100

Mid-straw and bright in the glass. Lifted aromas of bath salts, mineral, wet stone, white flowers and citrus pith. Crunchy, pithy, textured and mouth-filling. Citrus, just-ripe white stone fruit and perky acidity are all doing their thing nicely.

Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot

95 / 100

From the excellent 2022 vintage, this is sourced from a single vineyard in the region, the Mason Woodcarvers Vineyard. Just 125 dozen made. Terrific value. Lemon yellow in colour, the aromas are florals and limes. There is an early touch of honeysuckle. Bright acidity, focus, balance and length, this is an exquisite Riesling. It will drink superbly for at least the next twelve to twenty years and if anyone is looking to add a glorious Eden Valley Riesling to their cellar, for what is effectively peanuts in the world of fine wine these days, this is it.

Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate

94 / 100

The 2022 The Reserve Eden Valley Riesling exists because a small parcel of fruit in the Mason Woodcarvers vineyard stood apart from the pack in 2022. The fruit was picked and handled separately, bottled at the same time as the Estate Riesling (white label) and released after two years in bottle. The wine is powerful, complex and complete at this stage, although it still shows all the hallmarks of benefitting from further time in the cellar. At the time, the 2021 vintage was highly lauded in South Australia and further afield, although as time has progressed, I have professed a preference for the wines from the 2022 vintage. While this may come back to bite me in several decades, I find more gentle balance and pleasure in the 2022s, making them, for me, a standout. This is a lovely wine, and it's a step up in intensity and structure than the other wines around it today. It's impressive. 12% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.