The Dry Dam Riesling
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Spicy Thai curry, fresh oysters, salt and pepper squid
✨ Technical Specifications
The story of 'The Dry Dam' dates back to 1992 when a dam was built on the d'Arenberg property, only for a dry spell to set in, leaving it completely empty. While the dam remained dry, the nearby Riesling vines thrived, prompting winemaker Chester Osborn to dedicate the name to this resilient block. Sourced from cool-climate vineyards in McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills, this wine is crafted to highlight the delicate, aromatic potential of the grape. Unlike many bone-dry Australian Rieslings, The Dry Dam is traditionally made in an off-dry style, where a touch of residual sugar is masterfully balanced by a spine of bracing, electric acidity. The grapes undergo gentle basket pressing and cool fermentation to preserve the pristine primary fruit characters of lime, green apple, and white flowers.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1912 by Joseph Osborn, d'Arenberg stands as an iconic pillar of McLaren Vale viticulture, stewarded today by fourth-generation chief winemaker Chester Osborn. The estate spans undulating coastal landscapes influenced by the moderating maritime winds of the Gulf St Vincent, resting upon complex, ancient geologies ranging from calcareous Terra Rossa to sandy loam and weathered limestone. Viticulture is rigorous and certified organic and biodynamic across all estate-owned and leased vineyards. While renowned for formidable Rhone-style reds, d'Arenberg's white winemaking upholds identical artisanal rigor: gentle whole-bunch basket pressing ensures minimal phenolics and purity of expression. From the racy, textural The Money Spider Roussanne and crisp The Dry Dam Riesling to the lusciously layered botrytised expressions The Noble Semillon and The Noble Botryotinia Fuckeliana, the wines epitomize balance, crystalline minerality, and vibrant natural acidity.
🍇 Grapes
Riesling
🍷 ABV
10.5% - 11.5%