Loosen Barry Slate Hill Riesling 2023

Loosen Barry Slate Hill Riesling 2023

The LoosenBarry collaboration has always been about pushing boundaries, taking risks, and elevating the profile of what we believe to be the most noble grape variety—Riesling. Wolta Wolta was the first expression of this vision. Our experience with this wine inspired us to create a second wine under the LoosenBarry partnership: Slate Hill.

After 10 years of making Wolta Wolta, we began to understand how Australian-grown Riesling performs when aged on gross lees in oak. Naturally, we became curious about how the wine would evolve when aged on lees in stainless steel. Over several vintages, we observed a similar development in texture and flavour between the two wines, though Slate Hill retained more of its approachable, ripe stone fruit character, while Wolta Wolta leaned towards being more savoury and complex.

At that point, we decided to expand the LoosenBarry offering. In February 2023, during Erni’s annual visit to Clare, we selected two additional blocks from our Wolta Wolta property with similar soil composition and exposure to the original Riesling block.

Fortuitously, 2023 turned out to be the perfect vintage to begin. It was the latest Riesling harvest we’ve had since the outstanding 2017 vintage, allowing for extended hang time and, in turn, enhanced aroma and phenolic maturity.

100% estate grown Riesling, Alc/vol 12.3%, Total Acid 7.7g/L, pH 3.0, RS 6g/L.

The name Slate Hill is derived from the German Schieferhügel, evoking the steep slate slopes of the Mosel region as well as the distinctive terrain of our Wolta Wolta property in the Clare Valley, where the grapes are grown. Our aim was to craft a Riesling in the spirit of Wolta Wolta, but one that is more accessible and ready to enjoy.

We harvested in the last week of March and followed a winemaking philosophy similar to Wolta Wolta. The fruit was destemmed, crushed, and pressed slightly harder than usual (to 560 L/tonne), reflecting the phenolic maturity of the skins and our intention to enhance texture and fruit weight in the final wine.

After a light settling, the wine was allowed to ferment spontaneously in stainless steel. When the ferment reached around 10 g/L of residual sugar, it was chilled to arrest fermentation at 6 g/L. From there, it remained at 4°C on gross lees (with no stirring) for two years before bottling in May 2025.

"This carries 6g/L residual sugar, which is not much, just enough to give it some succulence. Spends two years in tank on gross lees (no stirring, which is perhaps unusual for an Australian).

Lots of perfume here, quite a potpourri thing happening, sweet green apple, lime and lemon sherbet. It’s juicy and flavoursome, fine powdery texture, pink grapefruit and lime leaf, a lively citrus tang to acidity, with a fragrant finish of excellent length and lime rind bite. Very good. It’s different to your average Clare, so that’s a feather in its hat too." 94 Points - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front