Rieslingfreak No.5 Clare Valley Off Dry Riesling 2026

Aroma
The bouquet is richly imbued with the aromas of sweet red apple, white peach and mandarin, complemented by fragrant floral scents of orange blossom and honeysuckle.

Palate
These seductive aromas transition seamlessly onto the lusciously flavoured palate, where the sweet flavours of apple crisp, apricot delight and fresh nectarine are balanced by a delightful zing of sherbet-like acidity. The natural sweetness of the style adds an unctuous richness to the mid-palate, while a core of driving acidity imparts linearity and length with a crisp, clean finish.

Region notes
Harvested from the family vineyard, situated in White Hutt, just north of the Clare township. The block selected for No.5 is grey clay over limestone, with the vines planted in an east/west direction. The nature of this block results in fruit of unique elegance and flavour with high natural acid retention; perfectly suited to producing exquisitely balanced Off Dry Riesling.

Vintage notes
In the lead up to the 2026 harvest, the drought conditions that had plagued the first half of 2025, were somewhat compensated by higher than average Spring rains which encouraged good early canopy growth in the vineyards. Colder and wetter conditions through November delayed flowering and fruit set, setting the early agenda for what was to be a relatively late harvest. As summer arrived, an extended period of dry weather with warmer than average temperatures, meant that sun protection and judicious irrigation was paramount throughout the ripening period, but proved perfect conditions for slow and steady ripening – the typical harbingers of an outstanding year for Riesling. Vintage officially commenced on the 5th of March – a full four weeks later than in 2025. Five days later the summer drought broke in spectacular fashion, with almost 90mm of rain falling in 48 hours. While the effects of this unprecedented rain event were felt across both Clare and Eden Valleys, quick response by our growers and cool heads in the winery were paramount to ensure that grape quality was maintained; and by the time the last of the juices made their way into ferment they were among the purest expressions of Riesling the Freaks have ever seen. While 2026 certainly put winemaking skills to the test, the entire range of Rieslingfreak Rieslings are a remarkable expression of refined elegance, purity, power, and poise. The almost perfect growing conditions leading into harvest clearly determined the quality and style potential, which endured the impact of the late season rains to deliver a sensational selection of distinct and distinguished Rieslings.