2024 Koerner Watervale Riesling

Highly Rated
Old-vine Watervale Riesling with more texture and complexity, made with a light touch but loads of character.
4.7
Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars
3 Reviews

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Sale price$38.00
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Description

Koerner has always built itself on rethinking the Clare Valley while staying true to what makes it great. Damon Koerner grew up in Watervale, surrounded by vines, and his wines reflect both that deep connection and a drive to do things differently. He’s not interested in making cookie-cutter Riesling - his take has more texture, more detail, and a bit more attitude, while still holding onto that electric Clare Valley freshness.

This one comes off the family’s Gullyview and Parish vineyards, including vines planted way back in 1923. The winemaking is stripped back - six hours on skins, wild fermentation in steel and ceramic amphora, and ten months on fine lees. No fining, no filtering, just a tiny bit of sulphur before bottling. It’s got all the drive and precision you want from Watervale Riesling, but with more layers, a little grip, and a whole lot of personality.

Properly delicious, properly interesting - a Riesling that’s as much about feel as it is about flavour.

95 points
"Superlatives galore. Texture, weight, freshness, savoury complexity, floral lift, and citrusy vibrancy. Green apple interest, invigorating energy, and delicious, palate-cleansing qualities. A layered, nuanced Riesling of wonderful drinkability and charm."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)

95 points
"A pure and honest Clare Riesling with lemon, lime, pomelo pith, bath salt, and talc-like minerals. Steadfast with verve through the finish, indicating impressive longevity. A wine to revisit in a decade or two."
- Katrina Butler (Halliday Wine Companion)

95 points - "Superlatives galore. Texture. Weight. Freshness. Savoury complexity. Floral lift. Citrusy vibrancy. Hazy, green apple interest. It’s all on. A succulent tonic of invigorating energy and delicious, palate-cleansing moreish qualities. Fragrant, frisky, bright, some weight and depth. It has it all. And delivers a layered, and nuanced riesling of wonderful drinkability and charm. So in." - Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)

95 points - "From select parcels in the Gullyview and Parish vineyards. This is a clear, light-reflected, honest and pure example of Clare riesling. Lemon, lime, a little pomelo pith, some bath salt and quartz with talc-like minerals and texture. These things are hallmarks of the variety grown in this region, yet this, too, has a steadfastness, a verve through the finish, indicating a wine of longevity. I look forward to toasting the occasion a decade or two from now." - Katrina Butler (Halliday Wine Companion)

Customer Reviews

4.7
Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars
Based on 3 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 2 Total 4 star reviews: 1 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
3 reviews
  • MC
    Martin C.
    Verified Buyer
    3 months ago
    Reviewing
    2023 Koerner Watervale Riesling
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Low intervention cracker

    Wonderful wine. No fining. Lots of apple. Loved it

  • SD Profile picture for Sharon D.facebook logo
    Sharon D.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    5 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    Reviewing
    2023 Koerner Watervale Riesling
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Once I found the corkscrew

    On opening, there was an immediate aroma of port wine magnolia. The wine is complex, simultaneously plush and zingy. It’s sure to get your attention by delivering both pink lady apples and fleshy fruits like paw paw with a light creamy edge. There’s a promise of potential in every sip. Just make sure the corkscrew is handy, you make want more, its that engaging.

  • MB Profile picture for Martin B.facebook logo
    Martin B.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    5 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    Reviewing
    2023 Koerner Watervale Riesling
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Surprising Clare Valley Special

    I love my Riesling, and I have a particular affection for traditional Clare Valley styles. So when I had my first mouthful of the 2018 Koerner Watervale Riesling, I was sort of "Harrumph this isn't a proper Riesling - not enough steel in the finish."

    However, it only took about ten minutes and a few mouthfuls to completely change my mind. I realised its all about balance and here is an exceptionally well-balanced wine. Great length and depth of flavour for a young Riesling. Some citrus and Asian spice elements on the palate finishing with (my favourite wine term) stone sucking minerality.

    I immediately ordered some more.

Beautiful Old Vine Watervale Riesling - aromatic with texture and spice

Vineyard: Gullyview & Parish Vineyards, Watervale

Blocks: Grace, Parish & Gullyview

Planted: 1973, 1923 & 1973

Soil type: Red clay on limestone (Gullyview & Grace), Red clay on slate and iron stone (Parish)

Picking date: February 16, 18 & 20, 2024

Picking method: Hand harvested and sorted in vineyard

Processing: Crush and destem

Time on skins: 6 hours in press

Pressing: Free run only, minimal press rotations

Cooling / settling: Cold settled off dirt and heavy solids for 3 days

Fermentation: Natural ferment in Steel & ceramic amphora for 2 months

Aging vessel: Stainless steel on fine lees for 10 months

Bottled: 29/01/2025

Filtration: No

Fining: No

Alc: 12.0

pH: 2.99

TA: 7.4

SO2: 26 free / 62 total

Production: 1500 dozen

Price Bracket $31 to $40
Type White
Body Light Bodied
Variety Riesling
Variety Style ["Textural Riesling"]
Country Australia
Region Clare Valley
Australian State SA
Reviewed By The Wine Front
Halliday Wine Companion
Critic Score 95
Alcohol 12%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2024
Closure Screw Cap

Koerner

Growing up in Clare Valley, Damon Koerner developed a deep connection with the region's rich wine history. In 2014, he and his brother Jono launched Koerner Wines to bring fresh energy to their home turf, creating vibrant, modern wines that feel both distinctly Clare and cutting-edge.

Koerner Wines is all about blending tradition with innovation. Damon’s organically-minded approach and contemporary techniques – like fermenting and ageing in clay amphora – result in wines that are bright, food-friendly, and ideally suited to Australia’s climate.

Using his family’s Gullyview vineyard alongside nearby plots, Damon works with Clare Valley classics like Riesling and Cabernet, while also embracing more unique varieties like Carignan, Sciacarello, and top-notch Vermentino. His wines showcase Clare Valley’s diversity, revealing unexpected sides of this iconic region. With a recent expansion into the Adelaide Hills, the range continues to grow and mature.

As one of Australia’s most celebrated young winemakers, Damon Koerner is redefining what Clare Valley & Adelaide Hills wines can be. If you haven’t tried Koerner Wines yet, it’s high time to explore these excellent South Australian vinos.

Damon Koerner in his Adelaide Hills winery Koerner

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