Pewsey Vale The Contours Riesling 2017 x 6
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The Contours
Riesling 2017
Pewsey Vale Vineyard The Contours Riesling is
characterised by a special site, sensitive vine
growing and astute winemaking. The Contours
Riesling is crafted from old vines grown on the
coolest slope within this ruggedly beautiful
single vineyard. Bottle ageing for seven years
before release transforms this Riesling into a
complex wine. More richness and complexity will
develop over future decades.
VINTAGE CONDITIONS
A wet winter and spring filled the soils so the vines
could get off to a good start. Spring and early summer
temperatures were mild and below average, perfect for
long, even ripening. These ideal conditions allowed us to
make optimal picking decisions. The warm, dry days during
late summer and autumn combined with cool nights led to
pristine fruit flavours and great acidity retention.
WINEMAKER’S NOTES
Pale straw in colour with green hues. Intense classic
lemon fruit aromas with a hint of white flowers. bottle
aged characters of toast, clove oil and lemongrass have
started to emerge and combine with the fresh citrus and
white flowers of its youth. The palate has great length
and depth with concentrated power, pristine fresh lime
juice overlaid with toasted brioche, sage oil and lime
marmalade. The wine finishes with soft, refreshing natural
acidity. Released in 2024 after 7 years of bottle age,
this wine will continue to age gracefully for many years.
Enjoy with duck breast and five spice glaze or tofu pad
Thai with fresh lime wedges.
HARVESTED
REGION
VINEYARD SOIL TYPE
VINEYARD ASPECT
23 - 24 MARCH 2017
EDEN VALLEY
SHALLOW SANDY WITH QUARTZ AND SCHIST GRAVELS
SOUTHERLY SLOPE
FERMENTATION VESSEL STAINLESS STEEL TANK
FERMENTATION TYPE
WILD FERMENT
WINEMAKER
ALC/VOL
LOUISA ROSE
12.5%
RESIDUAL SUGAR 0.4 G/WineWise Championships 2024
Gold Medal
Gold
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Royal Adelaide Wine Show 2024
Gold Medal
Gold - Royal Adelaide Wine Show 2024
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Royal Queensland Wine Awards 2023
Gold Medal
Gold - Royal Queensland Wine Awards 2023
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Royal Melbourne Wine Show 2024
Gold Medal
Gold - Royal Melbourne Wine Show 2024 - Class RIE003
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A gentle mid-straw in the glass with aromas beginning to take on the complexity that we love from aged Riesling.
95 Points
“Another museum release Riesling from the excellent Contours block of the Pewsey Vale vineyard, way up around 500m in the High Eden. A gentle mid-straw in the glass with aromas beginning to take on the complexity that we love from aged Riesling. Bickford's lime cordial, citrus blossom and Christmas lily are joined by buttered brioche, washed rind cheese, pressed wildflowers, almond paste, petrichor and stone. Porcelain acidity provides clarity and cadence, and it is clear that this wine is in a great place, possibly heading to a greater one.” - Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion 2025
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Long and pure
94 Points
Another museum release riesling, this one a five-year-old from the sensational Contours Block of the Pewsey Vale vineyard in the High Eden Valley. Light straw in the glass with aromas of Bickfords’ lime cordial, Christmas lily, orange blossom, almond paste, wildflowers, drying grass and crushed quartz. Long and pure with some soft spice notes joining in on the palate and a focused finish that sails off slowly into the distance.
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Pristine quality
94 Points
Pale lemon/green hue. Attractive cool stones, white flowers, lime flesh, honeyed almonds, ozone/fly spray and smoky ham hock maturity note. Hitting those teenage years where there’s a touch of development and a fleshiness, yet still a pristine quality to the limey fruit with filagree, juicy acidity through the tail. At 8 years of age, it’s right in the spot, with all the ageing done for you.
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It is a most respectable example of an aged Riesling
93 Points
A museum release at seven years young, this Pewsey Vale 2017 is a most respectable example of an aged Riesling. Detailed and delicate, this has tipped over the aging phase with notes of mandarin peel, lemon curd and rosemary sprigs making the first impression. Oily with some honeyed tones, concentrated lime cordial with a preserved lemon finish work their way forward with time in the glass. This is a great wine in its own right but not as good as a few vintages that have come before. Still, given the age and the price point, it is a wine with a silky finish and it is a most respectable example of an aged Riesling with all the hard Yakka done for you. Drink now to ten years.
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Clean and lean
17/20
Mature but very refreshing Riesling nose. Lively, lime-marmalade-on-toast flavours. Clean and lean. Not amazingly long but bone dry and smoky. Lots of fun but perhaps not the most amazing Contours bottling I have encountered.
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Matthew Jukes 100 Best Australian Wines
100 Best Australian Wines
The Contours is gaining a mighty reputation in the UK, and fans will be in orbit when they taste the glorious flavours embroidered in this fabulous wine. There is a timeless feel about this 2017; at eight years old, it has not yet turned the corner into tertiary splendour. Minty freshness, lime leaves, and basil and sage top notes intertwine, and a slender, rapier-sharp palate follows. This is elite and, dare I say it, almost Austrian in its dialect! I can half-see the viticulture team wearing lederhosen. Stop at nothing to secure some stock of this wine. It remains one of the finest value, cellar-aged Rieslings in the world.
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