The rationale behind this label is a quirky one! Our product manager found out that due to the tiny production of a particular wine, half the vineyard fruit was to be discarded....so he stepped in to say we would be interested to play with this other half given the quality of the wine over previous years. This lead to thinking about up-cycling the near-discarded, how one man’s trash is another man’s treasure etc and whilst humming over a potential moniker for the wine, God’s honest truth, a rag & bone van parked up outside his house calling for any old iron etc. Albeit a man in a white van, rather than horse & cart, the name stuck. The label reflects a collection of discarded items which together make up an eclectic assortment greater than the sum of its parts.
Eden Valley Riesling is prized for its vibrancy, purity and longevity and has produced many of Australia’s greatest Rieslings. The fruit for Rag & Bone is sourced from Binder’s single vineyard, high up on the Eastern side of Eden Valley. Warm days and cool nights ensure that the grapes develop ripe, intense fruit flavours whilst retaining appealing zing and acidity. The fruit was delivered to the winery immediately after harvesting in the cool hours of the morning, then processed very gently through our tank press. Free run and pressing portions were determined by Christa, using her vast experience with this variety. A Ratafia style wine was made from the pressings and the free run juice was used to make this wine. The juice was cold settled and 3 days later the clear juice was transferred into fermentation tanks. Bottling took place in the middle of June.
Smalltown Vineyards 'Rag & Bone' Riesling has the nose that classically expresses the vineyard... it's like having a fresh lime in your hand that you crush gently over minerals... literally lime on the rocks!! The palate is bright, zingy, singing with natural acidity and really textural. It reflects the vineyard with its fine sandy texture with really bright, white pithy fruit. Just a cracking Eden Valley Riesling.
Well suited to seafood dishes, spicy cuisine and anytime in the company of those who enjoy a quality Riesling! Try chilli prawns, green Thai curry, fish and chicken laksa (with chilli, coconut, ginger and lime).
Country: Australia
Region: Eden Valley, South Australia
Grapes: Riesling 100%
ABV: 12%
Volume: 75cl
Vintage: 2022
Suitable for Vegetarians: No
Suitable for Vegans: No
Awards: 2018 Vintage - The Wine Merchant Top 100 2019
2018 Vintage - Sommelier Wine Awards 2019 - Silver
Rag & Bone Riesling 2021: “Musky, spicy perfume over lemon barley and lime. It’s tight, chalky in texture, and light and lively too, with lemon barley and kaffir lime leaf perfume, a cool ‘mineral’ feel, very discreet and highly strung, but good to drink and very refreshing with it, the powdery and chalky finish is a highlight.” Gary Walsh, The Wine Front (July 2021)
