2025 Watervale Riesling

Riesling

Clare Valley

Seafood

2025

Pale straw with glints of green.

 Intense lemon, finger lime, wild fennel and delicate apple blossom.

Fleshy and fruit-driven, showing a harmonious blend of intense lime and citrus.

Drink now or cellar for 15-20 years

This vineyard has classic Watervale soils - red loam over limestone with a westerly aspect. A dry grown vineyard - meaning it relies only on natural rainfall - the vines are hand-pruned and fruit hand-picked. The limestone allows the soil to retain moisture, which assists the wine throughout periods of warm weather, almost drought-proofing in the summer months. Viticultrual practices include vertical shoot positioning, which not only encourages even ripening but provides important shade to prevent the impact of sunburn on the wine.

The 2025 vintage, shaped by a particularly dry growing season with just half the average rainfall, has produced a wine of remarkable intensity and powerful early fruit expression. A taut acid spine, intense yet delicate with fine flavours penetrating to the depths of the palate. 2025 also marks 25 years of Riesling produced by O’Leary Walker — a milestone that celebrates both heritage and finesse.

Alcohol - 11.8%

pH - 3.09

Acidity - 7.6g/L

96 Points – Qwine Reviews 

“What a pretty thing this is! I always look forward to the O'Leary Walker Riesling releases and these 2025 newbies are superb. Run at this Watervale - it's irresistible. Elegant and pretty yet full of detail and poise, the fragrance seizes your attention instantly. Bath salts, white field flowers, citrus blossom and green apple lift effortlessly from the glass flowing onto the palate with an attractive mouth perfume. Limes, lemons, green apple cordial and a fine line of riverstone minerality course their way through with a detailed chalky and talc finish. The value for money here is exceptional, not to mention the mouth feel and that perfume that is etched into my memory. What a ripper from an exceptionally dry year.” – Steve Leszczynski

96 Points – Winepilot, Jeni Port 

95 Points (Gold) – Halliday Wine Companion

“Pretty classic stuff here, albeit you'd say this release is quite concentrated and potent in its fruit characteristics. Lemon-lime, sweet and tart at the same time, green apple, distinct blackcurrant notes, a little lemon oil and dashes of mandarin marmalade. Lots of talc here, too – powdery, lavender-like, and with a little bit of grip in texture. Nice one. Quietly complex. This should be singing with another year and onwards – and do wait if you can.” – Mike Bennie 

95 Points – Winepilot

“This was an outstanding season in the Clare Valley region of South Australia, and this wine shows both the seasonal virtues and the expertise of these guys in producing some of the best Riesling in the land. On the nose, it strikes immediately with a mix of lemon and lime and some crazy floral notes. The palate, while slightly fleshy and showing deep and powerfully presented fruit, is lifted by those lemon and lime citrusy characters and a fine chalky acidity. There’s still a degree of tension here as you would expect in a wine only a few months after bottling, yet the power and the class are evident from the start. There’s a beautiful pure intensity here, and it’s a wine that drinks so well now but will handle extended cellaring.” – Ray Jordan

93 Points – The Winefront

“The nose is all lime and salted lemon but the palate introduces hay, pear skin, slate and crushed fennel. There’s good power to this release, good fruit, and some grip to the finish as well. It feels tight, which isn’t a bad thing at this early stage. This is a good release. There’s a whisper of reduction too, which works.” – Campbell Mattinson

93 Points – The Real Review

“Light bright yellow-green hue; there are lifted flowery aromas of classic ripe riesling, hints of lemon-pith, cream and fresh pastry. The wine seems just slightly off bone-dry, but in taste is simply fruity—deliciously so, balanced for immediate drinking pleasure although it will certainly age gracefully for several years.” – Huon Hooke