2026 Clonakilla Riesling 750ml

Overview

Clonakilla Riesling is a pure, precise expression of its Canberra District origins and the individual vintage. Despite a challenging 2026 season marked by frost, hail and a January heatwave, the resulting wine shows beautiful floral, spice and citrus characters, with freshness, purity and the structure to mature for twenty years or more.

Vintage

The 2026 growing season presented a series of challenges, including frost, hail and a January heatwave. Despite these conditions, the harvested fruit arrived in excellent condition, producing a Riesling of clarity, freshness and aromatic intensity.

Winemaking

Whole bunches were picked in the cool of the morning and transferred directly to the press. The fresh juice was moved to stainless steel, settled for one to two days and racked off its sediment into fermentation tanks. Yeast was added and fermentation proceeded at an average temperature of 15°C. Following fermentation, the wine was cold-stabilised for several weeks, filtered and bottled.

Producer Tasting Notes

Clonakilla: “The wine sings with floral notes, subtle spices and some really lovely citrus elements.”

Critic Reviews

Ken Gargett, Winepilot: “A wine of the palest lemon/lime hue, the nose is delightfully full of citrus and spices, especially an appealing lime sherbet note. This is supported by hints of river pebbles, honeysuckle, wet slate and ginger. The wine is clean, inevitably youthful, delightfully fresh with bright acidity and great length. Strike that and make it incredible length. This Riesling can sit with the best made anywhere in Australia. A twenty-year proposition.”

Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front: “This is a riesling with a bit of difference, in flavour profile terms. It’s also a riesling of power and grip. It tastes of tonic water and lime blossoms, wax, honey, lime juice and talc. It’s pure but it has attitude and, as a result, it makes an impression. It’s super-young of course, but it’s good.”

Winsor Dobbin: “Despite coming from a difficult year - think frost, hail and a heatwave - this is an excellent wine. It leaps out of the glass with vibrant youthful enthusiasm. Aromatics, tropical lime juice notes, green apple flavours and brisk acid combine…”

Producer

Clonakilla was founded by John Kirk at Murrumbateman in 1971 and has played an important role in establishing the Canberra District as an Australian wine region. Its cool-climate vineyards are particularly well suited to Riesling, with the variety forming a longstanding part of the estate's production.

Specifications

• Vintage: 2026
• Grape Variety: Riesling
• Region: Canberra District, New South Wales, Australia
• Alcohol: 12.5%
• TA: 7.69 g/L
• pH: 3.02
• Residual Sugar: 5.5 g/L
• Harvest: Whole bunches picked in the cool of the morning
• Fermentation: Stainless steel at an average 15°C
• Cellaring Potential: 20 years or more