The Wines > O'Leary Walker Polish Hill River Riesling

Virtually next door to each other in the Polish Hill River, Martin & Joan Smith and Molloy's Vineyard stand as excellent examples of what this sub-region of Clare can achieve.

The soils are the thumb print on all great wines and as the road leading to both vineyards is called Blue Cutting Rd, so too is the basis of their vineyards. Grey loam acid soils over sandstone and slate make up the profile with much of the top soil littered with rock, hinting of just how tough the vines need to be to sustain growth and produce quality fruit - not to mention the work of the vigneron to provide the balance overall.

Only 9 kilometres from Watervale, the Polish Hill River region is quite a bit cooler and typically the fruit ripens 2-3 weeks later. This, combined with the soil, produces fruit with finesse and intensity. It is the slate of Polish Hill River, as opposed to the limestone of Watervale that gives rise to the point of difference between these styles.

Vintages Notes
2004 :: 2006