2015 Jim Barry Spring Farm Block 114 Riesling

96 POINTS

Mike Bennie - Halliday Wine Companion

This has plenty of character, lots of textural nuance, a savoury edge and refreshing citrus fruit profile. Lavender floral lift, some jasmine notes, a bit of black tea, lime, ginger, sugared almonds, red apple juice all in play. Quite compact but also has quite a bit of concentration. Plenty of drive; energy in spades with the coursing profile of briny acidity. A bolder riesling that makes it all work beautifully.

95 POINTS

James Suckling

Mineral-edged aromas of lime juice, gunsmoke, struck match, lemon curd and shortcrust pastry. The light-bodied, high-tension palate has racy acidity as well as great length and power. Really well-balanced with a lot of freshness waiting to blossom. Released after 10 years in bottle.

93 POINTS

Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2015 Spring Farm Block 114 Riesling is from a vineyard site planted in 1977 at 453 meters in elevation, with a northwesterly aspect, on brown loam over red-brown mottled clays. In terms of the way the Spring Farm Block 18 and this Spring Farm Block 114 face, we couldn't have two more different aspects. One faces south, with little direct sunshine, at a higher elevation, while this is at a slightly lower elevation and faces northwest—arguably the hottest way to face, taking in the full brunt of the daytime sunshine, with no reprieve from the setting sun. To mitigate the impact of the sun in this way, the fruit is picked earlier than the south-facing Block 18. This block is dry grown, with lower yields, and so, it naturally ripens earlier. The wine in the glass shows more inherent volume and structure, with toasty notes woven through the preserved citrus fruit characters. The acidity that dwells within the fruit remains undiminished by time, and this spears the wine across the palate like a javelin. This is a very impressive wine here—and gratefully accepted at 10 years old at release. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

93 POINTS

Angus Hughson - Vinous

The 2015 Riesling Spring Farm Block 114 is more forward than the Block 18. It’s showing honeyed and buttery aromatic complexity over a backdrop of tropical fruits. Punchy acidity is still well in play but overall the plush texture showcases this is at its peak for a little while longer.