A site expressive Riesling from the collaboration between Dr Ernst Loosen of Germany’s Mosel and Peter Barry of Jim Barry Wines in Australia’s Clare Valley. Named for the slate soils that shape its character, it is a fine example of Old World precision meeting New World intensity.

The 2023 vintage shows aromatics of white peach, guava, lime curd, green apple, kaffir lime, orange zest, almond meal and delicate florals. On the palate, stone fruit and citrus layers are balanced by grapefruit like acidity, chalky texture and a savoury hint of green olive brine, finishing long and mineral driven. Fermented with native yeasts and aged on lees in tank for two years with minimal intervention, it showcases both Clare Valley slate and the vision of two Riesling masters.

The 2023 Loosen Barry Slate Hill Riesling was made utilizing wild fermentation and was aged on the lees in tank for two years. The relationship between the Barry family in Clare and Ernie Loosen in Germany has yielded many interesting and positive developments over the years, not the least of which are the collaboration Rieslings produced in the Clare Valley. Here we have a wine that is distinctly Clare in its fleshy fruit and juicy acidity, while the extended time on the lees has contributed an additional textural dimension to the drinking experience. This is floral, fleshy and figurative in its expression, and I like it so much. It has personality yet also restraint. What a superb wine. There are six grams of residual sugar here, but it is invisible and only serves to balance the impact of the lees. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. 95 Pts, Drink 2025-2043 - Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate