Penfolds, Bin 51 Riesling, Eden Valley 2023 - 75cl
Bin 51 is the bottle that reminds you Penfolds does not only build blockbuster reds. It spends barely ninety days in tank before screwcap — no oak, no fuss, just Eden Valley Riesling caught at full voltage and bottled before it can lose a watt. Bone-dry, mind you. If you are expecting sweetness, look elsewhere; this is all acid and stone.
Eden Valley sits high in the hills above the Barossa floor, cooler and more elevated, and that altitude is why the fruit keeps its tension through a warm South Australian summer. The 2023 opens with orange blossom and freshly cut pink lady apple, then narrows into grilled lime, lemon zest and a flinty, crushed-quartz edge. On the palate it is taut and mineral — blood orange, grapefruit and a saline snap that runs the length of a very long finish.
Drink it now for the electricity, or cellar a few; under screwcap this style ages for a decade or more, softening into toast and lime marmalade. It is the wine I reach for when the day has been hot and nothing sweet or heavy will do.
How to Serve
Serve properly cold, 6 to 8°C, in a standard white wine glass — you want the aromatics lifted, not the texture. No decanting. A younger bottle benefits from ten minutes out of the fridge to let the citrus unfold.
Where to Drink It
The Wolseley, for a plate of oysters under the grand ceiling. Scott's, where the acidity cuts through a dressed crab. Noble Rot, if you want a knowing crowd and a kitchen that respects a bone-dry Riesling.
Food Pairings
This was made for Thai — a green papaya salad or something with lime, chilli and fish sauce meets the wine head on. Failing that, a squeeze of lemon over grilled prawns does the trick.
