Description
A producer with a single-minded varietal focus is a rarity in Australian wine, John Hughes is one of those rarities.
Try his wonderful highly-rated Rieslings in this pack!
- 2024 Rieslingfreak No. 2 Polish Hill River Riesling
- 2024 Rieslingfreak No. 3 Clare Valley Riesling
- 2024 Rieslingfreak No. 4 Eden Valley Riesling
- 2024 Rieslingfreak No. 8 Schatzkammer Polish Hill River Riesling
- 2023 Rieslingfreak No. 10 Zenit Pinnacle Riesling
- 2023 Rieslingfreak No. 11 Mosaik Eden Valley Riesling
2024 Rieslingfreak No. 2 Polish Hill River Riesling
The Polish Hill River Riesling comes from a single block in the Polish Hill sub-region of the Clare Valley.
John & Belinda Hughes think this vineyard produces the best fruit of all of their vineyard sources. Grown in soils rich with limestone and shale, this dry Riesling is ballistically good in 2024.
There's an extra level of intensity here. That classic iron bar of acidity as a spine, the chalky crunch of a green apple, wonderful perfume and glorious purity.
This sits comfortably alongside the best wines from this famous sub-region of the Clare. This is an elite Australian Riesling which beautifully captures one of the premier sub-regions for Riesling in the whole country.
98 points
"Such a sleek, tightly bound package, with a steely focus, porcelain acidity and a pitch-perfect tubular palate shape. It's lovely saline and sapid drinking now, but this will age beautifully."
- Dave Brookes (Halliday Wine Companion)
97 points
"This vintage’s star of the Rieslingfreak sub-regional expressions shows off the distinctive mineral traces typical of Polish Hill River vineyards, which provide a sturdy backbone to rich and generous lime and lemon flavours. It opens with a seductive bouquet of fresh green apple and jasmine, before the influence of fine chalky tannins defines the shape of a curvy mid-palate that shows a long citrus core gripped with a trace of honeysuckle, with an irresistible smack of minerality at the conclusion."
- David Sly (Decanter)
96 points
"It’s otherworldly, to be perfectly honest, quite hard to describe. It’s ethereal. All I can say is this is what you’d drink at the pearly gates, if you’ve been good of course."
- Shanteh Wale (Wine Pilot)
2024 Rieslingfreak No. 3 Clare Valley Riesling
The Rieslingfreak No. 3 is John Hughes' outstanding value Clare Valley Riesling.
The Clare Valley is John's home. This wine captures the essence of the region. This comes from John's home vineyard, and it's the wine he watches closest from vine to bottle.
Firm, steely but with a generosity that makes this a delicious drink now or primed for decades in the cellar. An absolute bargain and a must have for all lovers of Australian Riesling.
97 points
"So perfumed and essential, with crunchy lime, green apple and grapefruit alongside high tones of wildflowers, Christmas lily, jasmine, talc, mineral salts, peach skin and stone. Concentrated yet super-tight on the palate with a tubular core of focused lime and citrus fruits, a beautifully fine structure and a tangy, energetic line with velocity to burn. A superb, pristine wine."
- Dave Brookes (Halliday Wine Companion)
97 points
"From the family White Hutt vineyard. Immediate white florals unfurl from the glass. Jasmine and flannel flower. Green Alphonso mango skin, orange blossom and pink lady apple. It’s tightly coiled with a touch of spritz that relaxes and opens to white stone fruit and lemon peel. Acidity, although upright as expected, is surprisingly unified in the wine. The fleshiness of white peach is gathering momentum. This feels like it’s been getting to know itself in the bottle for longer than it has. Ready for drinking but of course another 10-15 years of jubilant life ahead of it yet. Drink with peach and arugula salad with crumbled ghost cheese."
- Shanteh Wale (Wine Pilot)
2024 Rieslingfreak No. 4 Eden Valley Riesling
John Hughes has a deep love of Riesling.
His unwavering commitment to it has seen him become one of the country's finest artisanal producers of the variety.
This is his Eden Valley Riesling. The fruit is sourced from three vineyards between Eden Valley and Flaxman’s Valley.
It's made in a dry style, looking to capture the sublime characters of these brilliant vineyards. The quality is clear, the expression is pure.
This is Eden Valley Riesling in top form. A deadset bargain for any Riesling fan.
97 points & No.8 in Top 100 Australian Wines of 2024
"The level of finesse and refinement is incredible. The nose gives aromas of lemon pith, grapefruit rind, slate and fresh herbs. The palate is laser-focused with a underlying mineral tension, showing notes of mandarins, rosewater and chalk. Complete purity. Drink or hold. Screw cap."
- James Suckling
95 points
"Tight and high-toned, as all Eden Valley riesling should be, with Bickford's lime cordial and Tahitian limes at its base. Hints of orange blossom, crushed quartz, lemongrass and stone with a light, balanced sheen of phenolics and a febrile sense of urgency as it careens across the palate, finishing fine and long."
- Dave Brookes (Haliiday Wine Companion)
95 points
"Pale colour. A stunning nose, lifted perfume of lime curd, green apple, pear, musky, honeysuckle and a hint of rose. Fresh and sapid, with lemon sherbet, lime, passionfruit and a fine, loose-knit chalky texture. Sublime balance, texture and an indelible line of acidity. A beautiful expression of Eden Valley grace."
- Andrew Caillard & Angus Hughson (The Vintage Journal)
2024 Rieslingfreak No. 8 Schatzkammer Polish Hill River Riesling
One of the great things about Riesling is that you can mold it into any form you like. Want it dry? Ferment it dry. Want it sweet? You can have that, too...
John Hughes loves Riesling in all its forms and guises.
The No. 8 from Rieslingfreak is modelled off the German Kabinett style of Riesling. It's picked early to preserve the searing natural acid of young Clare Valley fruit, then has the ferment arrested just as John decrees that the balance of sugar and acid is right where he wants it.
It's sweet yet refreshing all at once. This is one of the top of the pile sweeter-styled Riesling in the country.
96 points
"It's an enchantingly pure wine, its finely honed tension making it appear drier than you'd expect, with a fine, minerally cadence, an ache of umami and a drawn-out lime sorbet finish. Superb drinking."
- Dave Brookes (Halliday Wine Companion)
96 points
"What a journey this wine takes you on...The vineyard shines here with sweetness perfectly matched to suit the character of the fruit. It’s JUST right and a demonstration as to why you need to be a freak of all things Riesling to produce wine this good. Cellar for another 20 years if you have the patience of a saint. Serve with luscious pork belly."
- Shanteh Wale (Wine Pilot)
2023 Rieslingfreak No. 10 Zenit Pinnacle Riesling
The Zenit (German for 'Zenith') is a 'super Riesling' of sorts - which combines the best bits of fruit from both the Eden Valley and Clare Valley that John Hughes gets access to each vintage, and puts the quality on show.
There is precious little of this wine available. Dry, tightly wound, immaculately balanced and meant to be a standard bearer for all South Australian Rieslings.
It will live forever in the cellar yet has the fruit depth and flavour intensity to be excellent right now. This is John's finest classic Riesling release each year and is not to be missed, but you better swoop quick.
97 points
"Quite ethereal. The bouquet is the most reserved of this maker's '23s... it's the wine in this range that needs the most time and most demands to be cellared. An austere, tight wine: very intense fruit flavour supported by a solid backbone of acidity."
- Huon Hooke (The Real Review)
2023 Rieslingfreak No. 11 Mosaik Eden Valley Riesling
John Hughes, the mastermind behind Rieslingfreak, has a knack for pushing Riesling into exciting new territory. His No. 11 “Mosaik” Eden Valley Riesling is no exception, blending classic Eden Valley purity with a touch of creative flair.
For this release, Hughes aged pristine Eden Valley fruit in seasoned French oak barrels for a year, adding depth and texture without overshadowing the wine’s natural freshness. The result is a Riesling with beautiful layers of citrus zest, fresh pineapple, and a hint of salted nuts, all wrapped in a silky, creamy texture. The time in oak also brings subtle spice and structure, balancing the zippy acidity that Riesling lovers crave.
Whether you’re a diehard Riesling fan or just starting your exploration, the No. 11 is a brilliant wine. Pair it with fragrant Thai dishes, a creamy cheese board, or enjoy it on its own as a conversation starter.
This is an outrageously delicious and complex offering from John & Belinda Hughes. It's exclusively available at Different Drop. Riesling lovers, you can't miss this.
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