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(Archive)
Gourmet Traveller WINE, 10th Birthday Issue
Perfect Tens
Mount Horrocks Watervale Riesling 2006
Five-Star Riesling
Grosset’s near neighbour, Mount Horrocks, also showed us an excellent wine. The 2006 Watervale Riesling was a little fuller in the mouth than the Grosset, but still had fine lemon and lime aromatics. “Citrus blossom and spice,” Otton contributed. The palate showed excellent depth of flavour, just a suggestion of sweetness, and fine, balanced acidity. Like all top Clare Valley Rieslings, this wine will become more complex and richer with bottle age.
Nick Bullied
February/March 2007
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THE SUNDAY TIMES
MAGAZINE
Vintage Valleys
Mount Horrocks Watervale Riesling 2006
Stephanie Toole’s single-vineyard 2006 Mt Horrocks Riesling ($28) shows why this is the Clare’s most improved Riesling over the past five years. It has talc and lemon blossom fragrances, persistent lemongrass and lime flavours before a refreshing dry finish that lingers. This has delicacy and a marvelous mouthfeel.
Peter Forrestal
Sunday 28th January 2007
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THE AGE A2 Magazine
Saturday 20th January 2007
Riesling rising
Mount Horrocks Watervale Riesling 2006
A spicy concoction on the nose that opens up to reveal floral notes, lemon sherbet and pristine fruit notes that follow through on the palate. Steely fine and ultra-refreshing. A superb riesling.
Jane Faulkner
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THE ADVERTISER MAGAZINE
AUSTRALIA’S TOP 100 WINES
91 POINTS
2006 Mount Horrocks Watervale Riesling
$28.00
November 2006
There’s a lot in this bottle – archetypal citrus all the way, rounded on the palate with full-flavoured lemon and pineapple and complexities coming from its beautiful weight and solid textures. It sits in the mouth and just doesn’t want to go away.
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Nick Stock Wine Reviews
The Adelaide Review
October 6-19, 2006
92 points, RRP$28-30
2006 Mount Horrocks Watervale Riesling
Another success from the 2006 riesling harvest, showing definition and character, with attractive restraint and lines running deep into Watervale terroir. Stephanie Toole's riesling is a perennial favourite (as is her sweet Cordon Cut elixir), always skilfully crafted and beautifully balanced. Elemental and full of youthful verve, the '06 Horrocks offers grapefruit citrus and some more savoury, reserved character than usual. The Watervale perfume falls neatly into line with other aromas; plenty of citrus and an undercurrent of steely, slaty gravel. The palate is finely cut and evenly balanced; terrific stony mineral flavour with restrained citrus fruits woven through. The resounding impression is one of elegance and finesse. Some lime candy suggests there's powerful fruit that will build in time and the cut of cleansing acid across the finish intimates this will age gracefully.
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Ralph Kyte-Powell & Huon Hooke
The Penguin Good Australian Wine guide 2007
92/100
2005 MOUNT HORROCKS WATERVALE RIESLING
If you are in Clare, visit the old Auburn railway station, which Mount Horrocks ' owner/winemaker Stephanie Toole bought and renovated as her tasting room and cellar-door sales. There is no railway line these days, instead there's a cycle track so you can bike the length of the valley.
CURRENT RELEASE 2005
This vintage seems more austere and designed for long-ageing than usual for Mount Horrocks . The colour has pronounced green tints and the aromas are intensely line-leafy over mixed citrus fruits. In the mouth, it's slightly hard with firm acidity over a bone-dry finish. It needs time; then enjoy it with, say, fried whitebait.
Previous outstanding vintages: 1999, 2001, '02, '03, '04
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Jeremy Oliver
www.onwine.com.au
15 February 2006
18.2/93 points
Mount Horrocks Riesling 2005
This tightly focused and bone-dry riesling offers a heady aroma of lime, lemon and floral perfume. Slightly confectionary, its long and finely sculpted palate of juicy citrus fruit is tightly focused and balanced by refreshing acids. Should develop beautifully.
(ClareValley, $26 retail, approx., drink 2013-2017)
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RIESLING TIDE
GOURMET TRAVELLER WINE FEB/MAR 2006
Awash in riesling after 2005 was declared an outstanding year in Australia for the variety, Peter Bourne, Nick Bullied MW, Andrew Caillard MW, Peter Forrestal, Sophie Otton and Huon Hooke taste the best from top producers.
MOUNT HORROCKS 93/100
Another classy wine from a consistent performer. The 2005 Watervale has a brilliant yellow-green hue and a pure aroma of lime leaves and lemon peel. The palate is quite firm and almost austere, with liberal acidity, and needs some time before it will be enjoyable without food. It has an almost salty, rock-like minerality. Caillard was a big fan, describing it as classically proportioned, and having lemon and herb aromas, a tangy palate with fine, flinty qualities, and an indelible acidity. Give it a year, then drink for up to 10.
Huon Hooke
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Greg Duncan Powell
VOGUE
ENTERTAINING + TRAVEL Feb/March 2006
GREG'S PICKS
Mount Horrocks Watervale Riesling 2005, $28
The fantastic vintages in the Clare Valley keep coming and just when you think riesling can't get any better, along comes one like this. Fresh, zesty and oozing lime characters, it's a fantastic drink with Asian food now but will also repay cellaring - if you can keep yourself away from it.
Ken Gargett
The Courier-Mail Tuesday, January 3, 2006
Clare Valley's bounty
Mt Horrocks 2005 Watervale Riesling ($28)
Lemons, a slight herbal touch. Taut, fresh and nicely balanced with an exciting future. 93/100
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Divine Food &Wine
Scott Wasley
December/February 2006
Currently Divine
Good things to drink from around the world
2005 Mount Horrocks Watervale Riesling
Is this the most reliable premium small producer label in Australia? Has to be damned near the top of the heap. I thank my dear editor each time Mount Horrocks new releases (rather more often than is my fare share) feature in my selection for review. Yet again, I'm delighted at the result. Young but very well balanced already, it will only get more expressive by early next year. I'd recommend drinking it over the next twenty-four months, or leaving it for about six years before pulling it out to drink over the following five to eight as a mature wine. It really is super-classy: watermelon, banana leaf, a hint of orange, little white flowers and clean earth aromas feature subtly along with the more common lemon-and-lime tango. These characters follow on to a rich, gently tropical nuanced palate. It opens up quite full with a really terrific fleshy/savoury texture and lots of minerality and gathers a real sense of "run" into the back half. Racy, expressive and balanced all at once with gentle ripe acidity a great feature. Outstanding.
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Jane
Faulkner
The Melbourne Age
Saturday 26th of November 2005
MOUNT HORROCKS WATERVALE RIESLING 2005 $29
I found this wine so beguiling – and kept coming
back to it in a line-up of a dozen rieslings from Watervale,
Polish Hill and Eden Valley – it's drinking brilliantly
now. It's beautifully fragrant, starting with a lifted
floral nose, especially orange blossom with hints of
lime and a touch of juicy, ripe pears. There's an initial
softness on the palate, finishing with fresh, clean
acidity and just a slight talc note. Screwcap seal.
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Peter Forrestal
The West Australian, Sunday Times Magazine
20 November, 2005
Top 100 Wines (under $30.00)
18.5
2005 Mount Horrocks Riesling, $28
From Stephanie Toole in the Clare Valley comes one of
Australia’s best rieslings: vibrant lime-juice
flavours, multi-layered, taut, finishes with dry, mouth-watering
acidity.
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WINEFRONT MONTHLY
www.winefrontmonthly.com.au
Campbell Mattinson
October-November 2005
Mount Horrocks Watervale Riesling 2005
screwcap: In splendid form, back to 2002 standard, with
a talcy, lemony, limey deliciousness and a sense that
the flavours bounce to all corners of your mouth. Lovely,
dry, searing length, the power on the finish quite exceptional.
Drink: 2005-2014. 95 points
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WINO
With Stuart Gregor
askstuart@sundaymagazine.com.au
Sunday Herald Sun
Sunday 6 November 2005 , Page 46
…. my advice is buy any, and as much,
2005 Clare Valley riesling as you can get your hands
on….
2005 Mount Horrocks Watervale Riesling, $27.
Made by Stephanie Toole, this is just
about as good as it gets: limey, citrusy and just begging
to be matched with prawns.
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WINE
James Halliday
The Weekend Australian 5 November 2005
Rieslings to be cheerful
Some weeks ago I wrote about the outstanding quality
and potential of the 2005 Hunter Valley semillons. This
time it is the turn of the 2005 Clare Valley
rieslings, which are every bit as exciting
as the semillons….
….Mount Horrocks
gloriously fragrant, exceptional finesse and elegance;….
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Greg Duncan Powell
The Sydney Morning Herald Weekend Magazine
October 22-23, 2005
FULL BOTTLE
Mount Horrocks Watervale Riesling 2005,
$28
A lazy sunny day, a seafood lunch and a bottle of decent
riesling provide one of life's simple gifts. With this
riesling, such an experience is life-affirming. Firm
yet full, it glides effortlessly across the palate,
leaving in its trail a fragrance of lemon, lime and
apple blossom and the quench of fine acidity that makes
the most simple seafood taste very special. It really
is that good.
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Nick Stock
Sumptuous Magazine Spring 2005
SUMPTUOUS seasonal Wine RECOMMENDATIONS
2005 Mount Horrocks Riesling
Tasted not long after bottling, the 2005 Mount Horrocks
riesling is an absolute cracker and a strong indication
of the quality of the 2005 riesling vintage in Clare.
Striking precise varietal character with lime blossom,
delicate, clear Riesling aromas and background beurre
bosc pear. The palate is juicy, vibrant and already
shows piercing concentration of delicious flavour, firmly
in the lime citrus spectrum with early signs of sweet
aromatics lifting from the deck. A perfectly savoury
finish with crisp zesty acid, real power and length,
within a fine even structure.
RRP $28.00
www.mounthorrocks.com
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Max Allen
The Weekend Australian Magazine Sep 3-4 2005
The Essential Spring Wine Guide
2005 Mount Horrocks Riesling $26
It’s an absolute joy to drink young Clare Valley
riesling at this vibrant early stage of its life: knee-tremblingly
brilliant aromas of lime leaf and little white flowers
lead on to a mouthful of slatey, thirst-quenching intensity.
All you need is some rice–paper prawn rolls and
a sunny afternoon.
Winery: www.mounthorrocks.com or (08) 88492243
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