Shop
Sensational quality wine from the Orange, NSW wine growing region.
2024 Riesling (12 bottle case) NEW RELEASE
2024 Riesling (12 bottle case) NEW RELEASE
Luminescent straw green in colour, our Riesling vineyard's typical honeysuckle and juicy talc aromatics underpin the celebrated floral bouquet and line of of this finely textured Bloodwood Riesling. Finishing generously balanced and flavoursome, the typical citrusy minerality of this wine, while satisfying now will thrill well into the medium term.
Al/Vol 12.6%
Vineyard
The grapes for the 2024 Riesling are sourced from the top 16 rows of the Riesling vineyard. This vineyard faces due north on an approximately18 degree slope with the rows approximately South West/North East in orientation on a Scott-Henry trellis system. The trellis is opened towards the top of the slope in a generally southerly direction allowing important late season sunlight to linger on the maturing fruit. The laminated silt-stones and shale of this vineyard slope allow for very reliable drainage in wetter growing seasons and a generally warmer start to each growing season. This is a very important quality vineyard for us at Bloodwood and we are blessed to have it.
Vintage Conditions
The Weather At Bloodwood is always the same; It's Different!
Vintage 2024 is looking better as the months go by. The winter rainfall leading up to the growing season was well below average and along with warmer temperatures, the early growing season was a challenge which we managed with pre-budburst irrigation and good Bloodwood Lawn Mooer weed control. The growing season itself was a warm one with weather up to and including harvest best described as warm and dry with some useful bursts of almost tropical rain in thunderstorms. Warmer than normal nights brought vintage forward to equal the earliest start recorded in vintage 2016. White and red yields were moderate across most varieties although the dry meant Cabernet juice yields were about 30 % down on historical averages. All the whites show remarkable pH/acid balance and generous fruit for such a warm year and the reds picked at moderate alcohols are also full of promise. Outstanding Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz are early highlights in what is likely the best vintage since the spectacular 2019.
Winemaking
The main consideration here was a clean, efficient ferment minimising volatile acidity and extended ferment characters. At 12.6 Be , a pH of 3.04 and a T/A of 8.2g/l there was not much that was needed in the way of wine making. Whole-bunch pressing as the grapes came off the vines, cool settling overnight, racking and warming to help the wild ferment get under way was our straightforward approach. Generally fermented between 14 and 20c over 29 days to stable dryness, the wine looked fruity and delicious from the start. Over recent vintages, I've been trying to work a little more on the mid-palate through extended fine lees contact post primary fermentation, and this technique helped integrate the generous fruit flavours and juicy acidity of the slightly off dry 24 Riesling. Following bench trials, protein and cold stabilisation, the wine was sterile filtered and bottled in early October 2024.
Wine Analysis
pH 3.04
Acidity 8.2g/l
Alc/Vol 12.6%
Tasting Notes
Luminescent straw green in colour, our Riesling vineyard's typical honeysuckle and juicy talc aromatics underpin the celebrated floral bouquet and line of of this finely textured Bloodwood Riesling. Finishing generously balanced and flavoursome, the typical citrusy minerality of this wine, while satisfying now will thrill well into the medium term.
Al/Vol 12.6%
“Such a generous and mellifluous departure from the more brittle South Australian expressions: lithe, long limbed, dry, juicy and yet driven by an effortless undercarriage of vibrant
mineral force more reminiscent of great Germanic gear. Glazed quince, apricot pith, preserved lemon, fennel, white peper and tonic. The finish, a sublime confluence of natural acidity and gentle phenolic rails pushing very long. A steal! Better, a fine wine indeed.
96 points Drink 2022-2032”
“Such a generous and mellifluous departure from the more brittle South Australian expressions: lithe, long limbed, dry, juicy and yet driven by an effortless undercarriage of vibrant mineral force more reminiscent of great Germanic gear. Glazed quince, apricot pith, preserved lemon, fennel, white pepper and tonic. The finish, a sublime confluence of natural acidity and gentle phenolic rails pulsing very long. A steal! Better, a fine wine indeed. Rating 96 Drink 2022-2032
❤ Shortlisted for 2023 Awards. Nominated by the tasting panel as the best example of this variety in its region.”
“Riesling 2016. Lime, lemon zest, riper quince and a sherberty Pez-like quality are de rigueur, yet what sets this Riesling apart is a volcanic pulse that meshes flavour, mineral and juicy, free-flowing acidity into a delectable whole. Extended lees handling proves rewarding. Indeed, there is nothing hard about this. A beauty now, or over the next decade plus. Rating 95 to 2028”
“Hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed, cool-fermented to dryness with cultured yeast, matured on fine lees in tank for 6 months. Good wine, with all the requisites of lime/citrus fruit aroma and flavour backed by citrussy acidity.
94 points to 2025”
“Tight control. Excellent fruit intensity. Slatey, minerally finish....This Riesling flies an impressive flag both on the palate and through the extended finish.
11.5% Al/Vol Rating 95 Drink 2028.”
“Pale straw; mineral laden on the bouquet, with prominent lemon juice and fennel aromas; the palate is taut and racy, firm, unevolved and the firm acidity is certainly at the higher end of the spectrum; time will be essential to maximise drinking pleasure.
11.5% alc. Rating 92 Drink 2021”
“2010 Bloodwood Riesling
Stephen Doyle and his wife Rhonda are two of the pioneers of Orange District wine. They have been making wines in their own particular way since their first vintage in 1986. Bloodwood has developed a reputation for its satirical labels and individual styles, but especially for the quality of its Riesling. In 2009, Stephen made a particularly good example. The wine displayed vibrant limey notes and mineral characters on the palate, finishing with dry, crisp acidity. However, the 2010 (made from the vines planted in 1984) is a cracker, and is especially recommended for lovers of the dry, minerally style. I visited the winery a month or so ago to sample the wine which will be released just before Christmas: “Intense floral aromas with hints of honeysuckle. Very refined, delicate palate with a fine minerally texture, great length and vibrant limey acidity. Outstanding 12.8% Screwcap”
“Fragrant spice, wild flower and apple aromas lead into an intense and lime-juicy palate, with immaculate balance and length. Screwcap.
12.5% alc. Rating 96 Drink 2020”
“A gloriously fragrant bouquet with a surge of lime/lemon blossom, then an emphatic palate full of lime and a hint of herb; finishes well. Screwcap.
12.5% alc. Rating 94 Drink 2018”
“Rhonda and Steven Doyle were two of the pioneers of the Orange region when they began to plant their 8.4-ha vineyard in 1983. At an altitude of around 850 m, there was never any question about the suitability of the climate for riesling. This wine is pale green-straw in colour, with a lovely floral blossom bouquet. The tightly focused palate has lime/citrus fruit wrapped around a strong mineral backbone - to use a mixed metaphor, a lady-in-waiting for the next few years.
Rating: 93
”
“Citrus, finger lime flesh, feijoa, green matcha tea and an espy of honeysuckle.
Confident and appealing, with limey length, staying tight in straight lines with finger-cymbal chimes of bright acidity and slatey minerality. Rating: 94/100. RRP: $32. Alc: 12.5 per cent
”
“This mature example is part of the Doyle’s museum stock. Aromas of rich lime sorbet, honeysuckle sweetness and light kerosene development. Still offering a bright and refreshing palate with
mouth-watering acidity and a talc-like texture. Eleven years young with many years ahead. Rating: 94/100. RRP:
$NA. Alc: 12.8 per cent
”
“Pale lemon colour. The initial nose a waft of free sulfur dioxide, the fruit underneath is chalky-mineral and faintly dried-flowery, the palate delicate and finishes dry after a tickle of sweetness. It’s crisp and lively, young for its three years and aging slowly, as a classic riesling should. The palate is delicate and subtle, with intense dried floral and dried herb notes, the persistence medium, and the finish clean and moreish. ”
“Bloodwood (Orange) riesling 2018, $32. With three years under its belt this is probably the most action-packed riesling in the country, imagine what it would be like after ten?
Funny you should ask …
9.4/10.
Bloodwood (Orange) riesling 2010
(Museum Release) Alas not for sale.
Well, after ten years … this riesling is astonishingly like its younger self, just with deeper hue and similarly greater depth of all the nice things too. Almost disappointing except it is so inviting, but you’ll have to grow your own.
9.5/10.”
“Such a generous and mellifluous departure from the more brittle South Australian expressions: lithe, long limbed, dry, juicy and yet driven by an effortless undercarriage of vibrant mineral force more reminiscent of great Germanic gear. Glazed quince, apricot pith, preserved lemon, fennel, white peper and tonic. The finish, a sublime confluence of natural acidity and gentle phenolic rails pushing very long. A steal! Better, a fine wine indeed.
96 points Drink 2022-2032”