Hughes & Hughes Riesling 2023

Product Information: A racy Riesling with exotic perfume. Fruit from vineyards in the North West, Derwent and Coal River Valleys, picked between 11.4 and 12.2 baume. Skin ferment makes up 10% of the blend with the remainder soaked on skins for 12 to 24 hours. Slowly fermented in stainless steel and barrels with natural yeast. Stopped when sugars and acids found balance and matured on lees. Bottled unfined and filtered. Maker: Brothers Matthew and Jonathan Hughes have already enjoyed meteoric success with their acclaimed Mewstone Vineyard, established on the banks of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel in South Tasmania in 2011. Here they create expressive single site wines with a minimum of intervention in the winery. The vineyard is a former cherry orchard and with some new plantings going in this year will expanded to a final size of 5.2 hectares. But for Jonathan to scratch his creative itch he also make wines under the Hughes & Hughes label. Selecting fruit from predominantly Southern Tasmania, the project gives the Jonathan a platform for creativity and experimentation in the cellar. Hughes & Hughes aims to produce bright wines with strong natural acidity, drinkability, that won’t break the bank. Philosophy: Sourcing quality grapes from other local vineyards, the more daring Hughes & Hughes sees Jonathan bring together techniques he encountered from his world travels. It comes in three levels, the Tasmania blends, single-site expressions and the most playful of this range is lo-fi, living wines made without any sulphur adds. The Tasmania blends seek to champion varietal expression. Building texture and complexity but not at the expense of enjoyment and purity. The winemaking can be a little experimental and playful. Your sneaky mid-weeky Pinot. As for the single sites expressions. These wines are chosen for their quality and expression of place – these are special parcels from growers that represent something a bit special. With the diverse growing conditions around Tasmania the brothers have a 6th sense for which patches will stand out after vintage. Once selected they are matured a little longer before bottling and release. Lastly the most wild expressions are made with a minimum of intervention in the winery. No added sulphur, no fining or filtering. Seasonal wines that explore texture and continue to evolve after bottling. Hughes & Hughes are produced in small amounts means he can put a whole lot of love into these unique creations. Don’t miss the opportunity to snap these up while you can. Nose – Green Apple, Citrus, White Flowers Green apple, citrus, melon skin and jasmine tea florals. Palate – Crunchy, Citrus Zest, Lime Juice Fresh, crunchy and bright on the palate, with plenty of citrus, apple and a brown lime juice lift. Finish – Racy, Fruit Sweetness, Clean Finish Fruit weight and texture that drives the mouth-feel, racy acidity, tapers to a crisp finish. Aromas of green apple, citrus, melon skin and white flowers. Fresh, crunchy and bright on the palate, with plenty of citrus, apple and a brown lime juice lift. There’s some fruit sweetness and texture that drives the mouth-feel, then the racy acidity does its thing and delivers cut and shape. – Aaron Brasher, The Real Review. The Finer Details Style – White Wine Varietal – Riesling Country – Australia Region- Tasmania Vintage – 2023 Bottle Size – 750ml ABV – 12.1%