Grosset is releasing its latest G110 riesling in April this year – but only 150 cases will be available

Every year, Grosset Wine's G110 riesling scores in the very high 90s. And every year, only a limited number of bottles are made. These are highly sought-after wines. And the latest 2024 vintage will be no exception once it is released in April this year – as Mike Bennie has already tried it, and given it an impressive score of 97.

In his review, he highlights its “swagger of concentration and chalky texture” while describing it as “somewhat rich, extremely energetic, powerful and so very fresh and long.” 

But what goes into making this riesling so special? First off, this wine is made from a minuscule quantity of single-clone riesling grown on the Rockwood Vineyard. And this specific clone was chosen through a series of experiments undertaken by Jeffrey Grosset and his daughter, Georgie.

Jeffrey shared: "Georgie worked with me while she was studying at university. She noticed that during each vintage we would line up all the tanks of riesling wines – which for us comes from every clone and section of riesling vineyard where there is a significant geological difference."

Georgie suggested they sample each of these to better understand the subtle nuance between clones and sites, and to determine whether one was worth separating out.

Jeffrey Grosset and his team handpicked the fruit in the morning during a full moon – falling in line with their biodynamic farming practices.

In the end, one section of the Rockwood Vineyard – planted to the 110 clone – did really stand out, and it was used to to make the much-loved G110 Riesling, which has a flavour profile that is specific to the clone and the area it is grown in the vineyard.

The Grosset team believes this clone is only worth championing alone when grown in one specific patch of the Rockwood Vineyard. In fact, the strip of soil and rock that brings out the best notes of this clone is just a few rows wide – hence why so few bottles are made. 

Only 150 cases of this standout wine will be available when released in April 2025.

Jeffrey goes on to mention that "the effect of that clone on that soil profile is to emphasise the more fleshy, fuller flavoured and weighty qualities of the fruit. These qualities are further highlighted by allowing the finished ferment to sit for an extended time on its lees, adding a very subtle yeast autolysis character.

"The key point to G110 is that it epitomises what we strive for at Grosset. The combination of geology, site and variety (even down to the clones) can be very exciting, and offer genuinely unique flavours and qualities.

"The role of winemaker is, to me, to identify, preserve and – where appropriate – highlight these unique qualities. G110 is the perfect example of this process in play. In this case, however, it did take prompting from my daughter to realise the potential!"

Looking to the upcoming releases of G110, Jeffrey is very optimistic. He notes that, "2025 has shaped up to be similar in fruit quality to 2024 – the warm and very dry conditions causing an earlier vintage. We also saw the ongoing benefit of biodynamics and organic certification with virtually unblemished, flavoursome fruit."

Mike Bennie's 2024 Grosset G110 riesling tasting note

There's swagger of concentration and chalky texture. There's a huge volume of green apple, jasmine, lime and lemongrass aromas. The palate is somewhat rich, extremely energetic, powerful and so very fresh and long. Apple, lime and lemongrass are accompanied by a huge swish of river pebble and saline-brine freshness in the minerality department, too. That it all meshes beautifully is another thing to sing from the rooftops. This is a very, very impressive riesling. – Mike Bennie, Halliday Wine Companion, 97 points

RRP $135 | Drink to 2045

For more information, you can visit grosset.com.au.

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Image credit: Grosset and Wine Australia.