Isolation Ridge Vineyard

The easy bit is to talk about the complexity, precision, the inherent power and confidence that resides in the 2022 Isolation Ridge Riesling. The hard bit is to explain why. The 2022 vintage was cool-ish and winemaker, Hunter Smith, talks of “extended hang time” on the vine for the fruit. The Smith family has also been working on building in texture and added presence in recent years in the form of picking riper fruit, nine months on lees and around eight per cent of wine now sees time in oak. Every little one per center comes together in the glass. Striking citrus notes, green apple, preserved lemon, leaf aromas mix with lifted honeysuckle florals. At first, it appears fine-boned, but then it builds in presence, depth, texture and tension. The drinker becomes mere putty under its spell. You can’t talk about the wine without reference to the acidity which both glides and provides real tension – and interest – as it brings together all the elements, while standing out as a true, attractive feature. In the immediate future it will bring tangy acid drive; in the long-term that acidity will contribute considerable age worthiness. 96 points