From the Eden Valley in South Australia, this remarkable wine achieved 242 g/l of residual sugar, hence the “242” on the label.

I have not been a fan of the dry Heggies Riesling, usually finding it a bit clumsy, although bottle age usually helps.

This wine is however, something special.

It has a deep bright gold colour, and powerful aromatics of apricot, passionfruit and lime. The palate is super-lush, and mouth-filling with some lemon-peel candiness, backed by the ripe apricot marmalade flavours, ripe red apple and dried pear. There is some almond-meal semi-nutty character as well (highly unlikely to be from oak).

This wine is intense, lingering, cleansing and delicious, with the monster botrytis not diminishing varietal character. Complex, and damn fine. Botrytis is generally a nuisance in Australia, and this wine is a lovely expression of care in the vineyard, and the winery successfully transiting into bottle. Age has charmed, not harmed.

Drink to 2025, 94 well-deserved points