Skillogalee's Clare Valley Riesling is one of the region's most enduring expressions of this variety — a wine drawn from Clare Valley fruit and shaped by Skillogalee's long commitment to producing Riesling of genuine character and natural acidity. The 2026 vintage has been identified by the producer as a highlight of the season for Riesling, with the Clare Valley's cool-climate conditions delivering vibrant aromatics, strong natural acidity and fine structure. A challenging vintage that favoured quality over quantity, 2026 produced wines of notable purity and regional expression.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Bright pale straw with youthful clarity.
Nose: Vibrant and expressive, with the producer reporting lifted aromatics and the fine, focused character that Clare Valley Riesling delivers in exceptional vintages. Pure and precise on the bouquet.
Palate: The strong natural acidity that defines this vintage is immediately evident — lively, focused and persistent. Fine structure gives the palate real presence and length. A wine of purity and regional character, with the balance and composure to develop with time.
Finish: Clean, long and driven by natural acidity, with fine-grained structure carrying through to a crisp, assured close.
Vintage
The 2026 Clare Valley season opened cool, with spring rainfall supporting canopy development across the region. Late frosts reduced yields in some vineyards, and a warm, dry January carried the vines through veraison. Late-February harvest rainfall required selective picking, and overall yields were below average. The result, across the Clare Valley, was high-quality fruit with natural intensity and concentration — a vintage the producer regards as favouring quality decisively over quantity.
About Skillogalee
Skillogalee is a family-owned Clare Valley producer with a long track record in Riesling. The winery is situated in the Sevenhill subregion — one of the coolest and highest-altitude parts of the Clare Valley — and has built its reputation on wines that balance varietal expression with natural acidity and genuine cellaring potential. The Clare Valley Riesling represents the producer's commitment to the variety and the region in a wine crafted for both immediate and longer-term enjoyment.
