“The Learnings” watervale riesling 2023
Halliday Wine Companion Review by Mike Bennie
Another impressive release from the venerable Neil ‘limefinger’ Pike, The Learnings Riesling a very distinct wine. It feels concentrated and potent, stacked with perfume and flavour with a lime oil/essence character married to attractive and somewhat unique anise notes that surface in both the bouquet and the palate. While brilliantly flavoursome, the texture finds a chalky, near chewy edge, yet retains sublime, saline acidity and a finish that persists with that anise note, mouth-watering, fresh and somewhat palate staining. It’s classic Clare with the volume turned up, but everything in harmony. Memorable. 96 points
WineCountry Review by Nick Stock
Neil Pike’s style of Watervale riesling is resolute and so neatly fitted into stride. Lime fruit is central to the nose and palate and there’s a gently chalky edge to the texture that really holds the finish and gives the wine a sense of completeness. The result is very drinkable. Screw cap. 93 points
The Wine Front Review by Gary Walsh
This is probably the best Watervale Riesling I’ve tasted from Limefinger. I dislike the word ‘learnings’, though that’s the only thing I don’t like about the wine.
Lime, lemongrass, fennel, and quite some perfume here too. It’s juicy and flavoursome, a lovely intense delivery of lime, lime zest and bathtime fun perfume, fine chalk dust texture, firm acidity, though it’s so well-bedded into the wine that it’s delivered with an almost gentle touch, there’s some gin and tonic bite too, on a finish of excellent length and intensity. It also has a stony/mineral character too. Gee, it’s very good, and if you love Watervale, you’d be hard pressed to do better. Yum. 95+ points
Qwine Review
Riesling lovers rejoice! Sound the alarm because the 2023 Clare Valley vintage is where the party is at. This Learnings Watervale from Limefinger is brilliant! So clean, so pure, and it has a little steely presence too. Watervale is known for its prettiness and that absolutely glistens.
Lemons, limes and lime pith come in handfuls with flashes of grapefruit for good measure. Green apples sit at the core and provide a neat backbone. Some quartz and talc fly the flag late and the whip crack of acidity finishes this off perfectly. It’s indeed a very smart Watervale Riesling. Go here. Drink to five years+ 95/100
Wine Pilot Review by Ken Gargett
It has only been a few years but Neil Pike, one of the Clare Valley’s most experienced and skilled Riesling makers, has made some serious waves with his new label, Limefinger. These are Clare Rieslings of the highest quality. “The Learnings” is sourced from the St Clare Gardens ‘Honey Home Block’, just northeast of the Watervale township. The vineyard was planted in 2002.
This is trout stream transparent in colour. The nose gives us lovely citrus characters, hints of grapefruit and limes, florals, spices and a lovely chalky backing. There is balance and focus with great length. Fine acidity. Absolutely nothing out of place here. Neil talks about this going for five to seven years before it develops that alluring toast and honey. Perhaps, but I have no doubt that the wine will continue to drink beautifully long after that, another five to eight years. 95p.
“The Solace” polish hill river riesling 2023
Halliday Wine Companion Review
Neil Pike’s name is nothing new in the hallowed halls of Clare Valley winemaking, and his solo project here has been a runaway success from the get go. The 2023 Solace is a marriage of intensity and finesse, with exceptional length, quality of perfume and a general sense of quality fruit as an underpinning. It’s redolent of pickled lime, ginger, sea spray and pleasing greenery like hedgerow, or similar. The palate is seriously concentrated but slips into a dart-shaped thrust and pushes on and on with its limey, fruity-tartness, more of the briny minerality of the bouquet, general succulence and of course, deliciousness. A stellar riesling. 96p
Qwine Reviews Best of 2023 Proxime Accessit
qwinereviews Proxime Accessit, or the runner-up, this @limefingerwine Solace Polish Hill River Riesling 2023 is Riesling at its absolute peak. Purity, class, all that. Just wow. In what was a hotly contested field from 667 wines reviewed in 2023, this release glistened and was a well deserved second place to the Wine of the Year.
WineCountry Review by Nick Stock
From Neil Pike’s home block which he hand tends and then crafts into an intense lime and slate-toned riesling with a fine-tuned texture and shape – this is a flavour rocket! Tiny production. Drink or hold. Screw cap. 94 points
The Wine Front Review by Gary Walsh
Tasting alongside the Watervale, this year, I reckon it’s the better wine. Not by much, just different.
Lime juice, aniseed, lime leaf and cinnamon spice. It’s white fleshed, juicy, so much fine chalky grip, chamomile and pear, a stony texture through it, all powder and fennel, fresh blueberry (I know, right?), with a slate and powdery finish of excellent length. Very good. Not as generous and vital as the Watervale, but still so good. 95 points
Qwine Review
Just when you think the 2023 Clare Valley Rieslings can’t get any better, along comes the Limefinger Solace. Woah! This is Riesling at its absolute peak. Purity, class, all that. Just wow. Neil Pike has been making Riesling in the Clare Valley for over 40 years and his experience adds all the glitter to this raging package of excellence.
Steely, as only the Polish Hill River knows how, soft white flowers and bath salt perfume add prettiness to a silky Riesling. Its shape and elegant feel make this soar. Lemon and lime juice mingle with ease partnered by riverstone and slate minerality that are etched throughout working seamlessly with the fruit. The acid is pitch perfect. This is something else. The best Riesling I’ve had this year? You better believe it! Drink to five years+ 97/100
Wine Pilot Review by Ken Gargett
From the Polish Hill River sub-region of the Clare Valley, specifically the ‘Home Block’ which was planted in 1994 in the centre of that sub-region. This is truly special. 2023 is the third cracking vintage in the Clare Valley in a row.
Gin clear, we have wet slate and riverstone notes. Spices, lemons, talc and limes. Fresh, tight, taut and pristine. Piercing and yet balanced. There is good, vibrant acidity here. Incredible length. A seamlessly structured, exquisite Riesling which will sail through the next ten to twenty years in a good cellar. A thrilling Clare Riesling with such an exciting future. 97p.