Stephanie Toole carefully crafts her wines from her meticulously maintained vineyards throughout the Clare Valley. With critical acclaim from Australia and abroad Mount Horrocks is emerging as one of the leading lights of the Clare Valley. The wines display varietal characteristics as well as the deft hand of a winemaker that realises her role is to bring the grapes to the table. All Stephanie’s wines are produced with fruit from her own vineyards, therefore ensuring optimum control from the vineyard to the bottle.

The Mount Horrocks Watervale Riesling vineyard, in the north eastern corner of this famous Clare Valley subregion, is planted on the very edge of the highly rized red soil over limestone. Surrounded completely by open land where cattle graze, its relative isolation benefits the strict application of organic practices which Stephanie has adopted.

A very good year for Riesling in the Clare Valley. Plenty of bath salts, spice and perfume, lime and lime zest. It’s juicy, a distinct lime zest and gin and tonic sort of flavour, chalky texture, quite intense, fennel, and a juicy/crunchy finish of excellent length. Packed with Watervale goodness. Lovely. Tasted: Aug 2022; Alcohol: 13%; Price: $39; Closure: Screwcap; Drink: 2022-2030+; Rated: 95 Points; Gary Walsh; The Wine Front