Pewsey Vale Riesling The Contours 2015 (750ML)

96 JS / 95 WA / 95 DE / 17 JR

Striking, fresh mineral aromas, lemon peel and lemon curd with a lightly toasty edge, too. The palate is so concentrated, with powerful lemon and stony-mineral flavors. Long, dry and really pure. From organically grown grapes. Drink now. Screw cap.—James Suckling

The fruit for this 2015 The Contours Museum Reserve Riesling was picked from the Contours vineyard in the Eden Valley. The Eden is elevated above the Barossa Valley, at an elevation of over 440 meters. The skeletal, podzolic soils veritably burst forth with rocks—quartz and granite—among the old, towering gums that sway in the wind... there's something incredibly evocative about the Eden Valley. With all of this in mind, at seven years of age today in 2022, this wine is spicy and enveloping but absolutely remains shackled to the rails of acidity and tension that this region is so good at. At no point through the finish does the fruit waver or deviate from the set path, telling us it has plenty of time left to go yet. This wine is routinely impressive, and so too is this release.—Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate

After arriving from England, Joseph Gilbert planted the Eden Valley region’s first grapevines in 1847, initially 56ha of Riesling in contoured rows. The several remaining hectares of these vines continue to provide fruit for The Contours Riesling. At almost 500m, it is the coolest slope of the property, with the oldest vines. The Contours block is certified organic since 2013. Justin Knock MW: Lovely aged nose, hot steel, almost flinty, a high-toned aromatic character, but the palate is explosive with lemon and charred citrus peel, a warm and comforting toasty feel. Tasting close to fully evolved. Roger Jones: Mellow yellow buttercups, hints of jasmine, honey, toasty, fresh and racy on the palate, layers of complexity, juicy Williams pear and stone fruit. Julia Sewell: Straw and camomile, with notes of honey and candied lemon. There’s a comfortable quality to the well-developed character of the nose; an easy melding of fresher and more toasted qualities. And the palate reflects the aromas well.—Justin Knock MW, Decanter

Pale lemon. Mature, toasty lime and wax, with a hint of TDN and some floral notes that emerge. Intense, toasty lime palate that is assertive. Light-to-medium body. Toasty, long and fine. –Tim Jackson MW, Jancis Robinson