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Sensational quality wine from the Orange, NSW wine growing region.
2022 Riesling (12 bottle case) NEW RELEASE
2022 Riesling (12 bottle case) NEW RELEASE
Delicate green gold in colour, our Riesling vineyard’s typical honeysuckle and spicy aromatics underpin the celebrated floral bouquet and line of this finely tuned Riesling. Finishing gratifyingly dry and savoury, the typical minerality and textured fruit of this vineyard will supply enormous enjoyment now and well into the medium term.
Al/Vol 11.8 %
Vineyard
The grapes for the 2022 Riesling are sourced from the top 12 rows of the Riesling vineyard. This vineyard faces due north on an approximately18 degree slope with the rows approximately South East/North West in orientation on a Scott-Henry trellis system. The trellis is opened towards the top of the slope in a southerly direction allowing important late season sunlight to linger on the maturing fruit. The laminated
silt-stones and shale of this vineyard slope allow for very reliable drainage in wetter growing seasons and a generally warmer start to each growing season. This is a very important quality vineyard for us at Bloodwood and we are blessed to have it.
Vintage Conditions
The Weather At Bloodwood is always the same; It's Different! Vintage 2022 reminded us of those we used to experience in the mid eighties and early nineties. It was very cool and late by this centurie’s standards beginning with Chardonnay on the 16th March and ending with just ripe Shiraz in late April. Yields were moderate because we pruned for tough ripening conditions and although the acid and pH levels were on the bright side, fruit flavours were lovely. Given the tough conditions, (733 mm during the October to April growing season) it was vital that fungicide programmes were consistently protective to ensure good clean fruit at vintage. Luckily, we had a run of dry and warm days from 4th of February to the 25th of March only interrupted by a moderate fall in early March which dragged the vintage home in good clean shape here at Bloodwood.
Winemaking
The main consideration here was a clean, efficient ferment minimising volatile acidity and extended ferment characters. At 11.8 Be , a pH of 3.06 and a T/A of 8.5g/l there was not much that was needed in the way of wine making. Whole-bunch pressing as the grapes came off the vines, cool settling overnight, racking and warming to help ferment get under way was our straightforward approach. Generally fermented between 14 and 20c over 32 days to natural dryness, the wine looked finely delicious from the start. Over recent vintages, I've been trying to work a little more on the mid-palate through extended lees contact, and this technique was necessary for this bright vintage 2022. Following bench trials, protein and cold stabilisation, the wine was sterile filtered and bottled in early October 2022.
Wine Analysis
pH 3.1
Acidity 8.5g/l
Alc/Vol 11.8%
Tasting Notes
Delicate green gold in colour, our Riesling vineyard’s typical honeysuckle and spicy aromatics underpin the celebrated floral bouquet and line of this finely tuned Riesling. Finishing gratifyingly dry and savoury, the typical minerality and textured fruit of this vineyard will supply enormous enjoyment now and well into the medium term.
Al/Vol 11.8 %
“Such a generous and mellifluous departure from the more brittle South Australian expressions: lithe, long limbed, dry, juicy and yet driven by an effortless undercarriage of vibrant
mineral force more reminiscent of great Germanic gear. Glazed quince, apricot pith, preserved lemon, fennel, white peper and tonic. The finish, a sublime confluence of natural acidity and gentle phenolic rails pushing very long. A steal! Better, a fine wine indeed.
96 points Drink 2022-2032”
“Such a generous and mellifluous departure from the more brittle South Australian expressions: lithe, long limbed, dry, juicy and yet driven by an effortless undercarriage of vibrant mineral force more reminiscent of great Germanic gear. Glazed quince, apricot pith, preserved lemon, fennel, white pepper and tonic. The finish, a sublime confluence of natural acidity and gentle phenolic rails pulsing very long. A steal! Better, a fine wine indeed. Rating 96 Drink 2022-2032
❤ Shortlisted for 2023 Awards. Nominated by the tasting panel as the best example of this variety in its region.”
“Riesling 2016. Lime, lemon zest, riper quince and a sherberty Pez-like quality are de rigueur, yet what sets this Riesling apart is a volcanic pulse that meshes flavour, mineral and juicy, free-flowing acidity into a delectable whole. Extended lees handling proves rewarding. Indeed, there is nothing hard about this. A beauty now, or over the next decade plus. Rating 95 to 2028”
“Hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed, cool-fermented to dryness with cultured yeast, matured on fine lees in tank for 6 months. Good wine, with all the requisites of lime/citrus fruit aroma and flavour backed by citrussy acidity.
94 points to 2025”
“Tight control. Excellent fruit intensity. Slatey, minerally finish....This Riesling flies an impressive flag both on the palate and through the extended finish.
11.5% Al/Vol Rating 95 Drink 2028.”
“Pale straw; mineral laden on the bouquet, with prominent lemon juice and fennel aromas; the palate is taut and racy, firm, unevolved and the firm acidity is certainly at the higher end of the spectrum; time will be essential to maximise drinking pleasure.
11.5% alc. Rating 92 Drink 2021”
“2010 Bloodwood Riesling
Stephen Doyle and his wife Rhonda are two of the pioneers of Orange District wine. They have been making wines in their own particular way since their first vintage in 1986. Bloodwood has developed a reputation for its satirical labels and individual styles, but especially for the quality of its Riesling. In 2009, Stephen made a particularly good example. The wine displayed vibrant limey notes and mineral characters on the palate, finishing with dry, crisp acidity. However, the 2010 (made from the vines planted in 1984) is a cracker, and is especially recommended for lovers of the dry, minerally style. I visited the winery a month or so ago to sample the wine which will be released just before Christmas: “Intense floral aromas with hints of honeysuckle. Very refined, delicate palate with a fine minerally texture, great length and vibrant limey acidity. Outstanding 12.8% Screwcap”
“Fragrant spice, wild flower and apple aromas lead into an intense and lime-juicy palate, with immaculate balance and length. Screwcap.
12.5% alc. Rating 96 Drink 2020”
“A gloriously fragrant bouquet with a surge of lime/lemon blossom, then an emphatic palate full of lime and a hint of herb; finishes well. Screwcap.
12.5% alc. Rating 94 Drink 2018”
“Rhonda and Steven Doyle were two of the pioneers of the Orange region when they began to plant their 8.4-ha vineyard in 1983. At an altitude of around 850 m, there was never any question about the suitability of the climate for riesling. This wine is pale green-straw in colour, with a lovely floral blossom bouquet. The tightly focused palate has lime/citrus fruit wrapped around a strong mineral backbone - to use a mixed metaphor, a lady-in-waiting for the next few years.
Rating: 93
”
“Citrus, finger lime flesh, feijoa, green matcha tea and an espy of honeysuckle.
Confident and appealing, with limey length, staying tight in straight lines with finger-cymbal chimes of bright acidity and slatey minerality. Rating: 94/100. RRP: $32. Alc: 12.5 per cent
”
“This mature example is part of the Doyle’s museum stock. Aromas of rich lime sorbet, honeysuckle sweetness and light kerosene development. Still offering a bright and refreshing palate with
mouth-watering acidity and a talc-like texture. Eleven years young with many years ahead. Rating: 94/100. RRP:
$NA. Alc: 12.8 per cent
”
“Pale lemon colour. The initial nose a waft of free sulfur dioxide, the fruit underneath is chalky-mineral and faintly dried-flowery, the palate delicate and finishes dry after a tickle of sweetness. It’s crisp and lively, young for its three years and aging slowly, as a classic riesling should. The palate is delicate and subtle, with intense dried floral and dried herb notes, the persistence medium, and the finish clean and moreish. ”
“Bloodwood (Orange) riesling 2018, $32. With three years under its belt this is probably the most action-packed riesling in the country, imagine what it would be like after ten?
Funny you should ask …
9.4/10.
Bloodwood (Orange) riesling 2010
(Museum Release) Alas not for sale.
Well, after ten years … this riesling is astonishingly like its younger self, just with deeper hue and similarly greater depth of all the nice things too. Almost disappointing except it is so inviting, but you’ll have to grow your own.
9.5/10.”
“Such a generous and mellifluous departure from the more brittle South Australian expressions: lithe, long limbed, dry, juicy and yet driven by an effortless undercarriage of vibrant mineral force more reminiscent of great Germanic gear. Glazed quince, apricot pith, preserved lemon, fennel, white peper and tonic. The finish, a sublime confluence of natural acidity and gentle phenolic rails pushing very long. A steal! Better, a fine wine indeed.
96 points Drink 2022-2032”