2026 Rieslingfreak No. 5 Clare Valley Off Dry Riesling

Few off-dry styles in Australia are executed with the precision and drinkability of this Rieslingfreak gem.

The 2026 No. 5 comes from a different block of the family's White Hutt vineyard to the No. 3 - grey clay over limestone, planted east-west, which retains the natural acidity needed to carry real sweetness with poise. It's John and Belinda's entry point into off dry Riesling, and this vintage's mix of elegance, generous flavour and electric acidity has made for a beautifully balanced wine.

This is where the range gets a little playful. The nose is all ripe orchard fruit and honeysuckle, and the palate delivers exactly what it promises - a lovely fruit-tingle sweetness up front, like biting into a ripe nectarine, kept honest by a tingly, sherbet-like acidity running right through the middle. It finishes surprisingly dry and chalky for something with this much sweetness up front - that push and pull between sugar and acid is really the whole point of this wine, and this vintage has nailed the balance.

A superb match for spicy dishes, or simply delicious on its own.

95 points
"There's no sense of 'sweet wine' here, just a textural nod and a fruitiness. The balance is sublime. Wildly drinkable and charming."
- Mike Bennie (Halliday Wine Companion)