Jim Barry Watervale Riesling

Jim Barry Watervale Riesling

Jim Barry Watervale Riesling –  aromas of lemon, grapefruit juice, lime and white flowers combine with a lick of mineral, wet slate. Refreshing and intense, the generosity of flavour shows all the hallmarks of Watervale Riesling, perfectly balanced by zesty acidity.

The Watervale Riesling grapes come from a special part of the famed Florita vineyard in Watervale, in the Clare Valley. The Mediterranean climate has a high diurnal temperature difference; the cool nights lead to the preservation of crisp natural acidity and delicate flavours. The vines are planted on south or east-facing slopes, which are best suited to Riesling as they are shielded from the hot northerly summer winds, instead they receive the cooler morning sun. The vines are trained on a single cordon with two bud spurs to promote even canopy growth, encourage shade and avoid crowding of fruit to reduce risk of disease. The foliage is managed with a partial VSP to maximise shade on the northern and western sides of the rows and allow air and dappled sunlight in on the south and eastern sides. Irrigation encourages even ripening and under-vine mulching inhibits weed competition and preserves soil moisture.

The grapes were harvested in the cool of the night, to minimise oxidation, phenolic extraction and preserve the flavours in the juice. The fruit was immediately pressed without any skin contact and settled for 24 to 48 hours. The juice was racked off its solids and a cool fermentation took place at 14 – 16°C with selected yeasts, lasting for two to three weeks. Vinified unintrusively, to allow the Riesling to reflect its origins.

Located fifteen kilometres south of Clare township, the tiny village of Watervale is nestled in South Australia’s Clare Valley and is internationally renowned for the quality of its Rieslings. 

A consistently awarded wine since its first release in 1974, our Watervale Riesling is picked from select parcels of vines that achieve ripeness with naturally high acid levels.

Certain names resonate strongly within Australian wine history and Jim Barry is one of them. It was Jim Barry’s drive that helped shape South Australia’s Clare Valley as a benchmark producer of world class Riesling and cemented it as one of Australia’s premier wine regions. Jim was the first qualified winemaker in the Clare Valley, graduating with a degree in oenology from the prestigious Roseworthy Agricultural College in 1947. Founded in 1959, Jim Barry Wines is still family owned, with three generations of Roseworthy graduates. Jim’s son Peter became managing director in 1985 and today Peter’s children Tom, Sam and Olivia are the winemaker, commercial manager and brand ambassador respectively. Voted ‘2020 Winery of the Year’ at the Halliday Wine Companion Awards they produce highly acclaimed and award-winning wines.

The Clare Valley is a series of undulating hills within the higher ranges of the grape growing area. Vine aspect and row orientation is as critical as soil type in terms of the suitability of a vineyard site for a particular variety. Shiraz is suited to upper slopes with northerly or western aspects. The vines are trained on a single cordon with a rod and spur to promote even canopy growth along the cordon, which allows for shading and avoids the crowding of fruit, in order to reduce disease. The Clare Valley has a high diurnal temperature difference. The cool nights allow the vines to recover from the heat of the day and produce Shiraz with even ripening of tannins and flavour.

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Jim Barry Watervale Riesling