The 2023 Magpie Hill Reserve Riesling is so, so pretty on the nose, almost achingly so. It offers notes of lime blossom, crushed rocks, jasmine flower, tamarind, saffron, a hint of mustard seed, white pepper, juniper berry, apple cider apples (actually, more specifically, there is an aroma in here reminiscent of the "tang!" in scrumpy cider) and curry leaf—I could go on. In the mouth, the wine is concentrated and intense. The acid would almost hurt were it not for the slew of juicy, saliva-inducing salty characters in there. It is detailed, nuanced and exciting. Juicy. 12.3% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

This 2022 Magpie Hill Reserve Riesling is the first under new ownership, and it leads with a distinctly different nose than usual. It's challenging to pin down, but here goes: in place of the pristine white flowers and talc that is expected, there is swirling ash/embers, straw/hay, bison grass and graphite/bitumen and a pronounced petrichor/ozone character leads the charge. Behind it are pencil shavings, Dispirin (aspirin), the crackle of summer grass and oxalis. It's salty and mineral, gray and rocky, austere and sleek. Whether it's the season or not, this is a change in style for the Magpie Hill Reserve. Very different indeed.

The 2021 Magpie Hill Reserve Riesling is already showing some toast on the nose, among the white flowers, lemon verbena and green apple skins. In the mouth, the wine is laser sharp and tightly focused, with a skein of taut, mineral acidity that weaves its way across the palate. Riesling has a shy hibernation phase after a year or so in bottle, and this is entering that stage now. Tasted this time last year, this wine has evolved over the ensuing year and is a quiet iteration of itself currently. The acid, structure and provenance of this wine demand patience, so we give it. Hold.