ATR Wines Hard Hill Road Writer's Block Riesling 2021

Winemaker Adam Richardson selected the very special terroir of the Hard Hill Road Vineyard to call home and craft the A.T. Richardson brand (ATR Wines). He purchased the property in 2005 and spent the next 10 years improving the vineyards and planting more vines and new varieties - including Durif, Nebbiolo and Tannat. The Writer's Block Riesling is sourced from the highest block in the vineyard at an elevation of 300 metres. It is a pure expression of delicate Riesling fruit characters and Great Western minerality, with six months on lees in ten-year old French barriques adding a softness and inviting textural element. 

"A treat to see how the high natural acidity (9g/L) has been managed, cajoled into expressing itself while allowing the fruit an equally big say. Pristine, pure apple blossom, lemon, grapefruit pith, lime zest and green apple. The small amount of sugar (2g/L) is barely noticeable but brings a sherbet lift and fruit-tingle quality that just brings the fruit alive."  Jeni Port

"The highest, most exposed ridge in our vineyard inspires my wife, Eva, the writer in the family. Harvested a little later that our Chockstone Riesling, the grapes benefit from a touch more sun. Typically low yields and harvesting at the perfect flavour/acid profile lead to the delicate flavours and balance that defines our Writer’s Block Riesling. Once harvested, the grapes are pressed as gently as possible, then settled for three days before being fermented in old French barrels. The wine then rests on lees in barrel for a further six months imparting a gentle texture and creaminess to the finish. Each year we let the fermentation come to rest with a tiny level of residual sweetness to match the vibrant acid profile, creating a focussed palate and an elegant mineral finish. A decade or more in the cellar will unearth unexpected new layers of flavours and elegant complexity."  ATR Wines 

Expert reviews 

"Pressed, fermented in old French oak, 6 months in oak on lees. The winemaker's wife is a journalist, hence the symbiotic title. A treat to see how the high natural acidity (9g/L) has been managed, cajoled into expressing itself while allowing the fruit an equally big say. Pristine, pure apple blossom, lemon, grapefruit pith, lime zest and green apple. The small amount of sugar (2g/L) is barely noticeable but brings a sherbet lift and fruit-tingle quality that just brings the fruit alive. Drink: 2022-2033."  Jeni Port, Halliday Wine Companion - 95 points

"A pale lemon-yellow colour with a green-tinted rim. Lime zest, mango and burnt honey aromatics. Rich and textured on entry, a unique style of riesling with weight and depth, some sweetness but all matched up to a bright acidity and phenolic grip into the finish. A wine that will hit even higher notes with food. Drink: 2022-2034." Stuart Knox, The Real Review - 93 points

About the winery

Winemaker Adam Richardson, born in Western Australia, has been making wine professionally since 1995. He held various senior international winemaking and management roles including chief winemaker for Treasury Wine Estates Americas and vice president of international winemaking for the major California-based The Wine Group. In these roles, Adam produced wines from almost every major wine appellation around the world and saw his name on the back label of about 70 million bottles of wine!

However Australia beckoned and after a 10-year search, he and his family selected the very special terroir of the Hard Hill Road Vineyard to call home and craft the A.T. Richardson brand (ATR Wines). They purchased the property in 2005 while they were still living in America, and planted their first blocks of Shiraz, Riesling and Durif in 2006. The first vintage of ATR wines was 2007, and they made just 200 dozen from a neighbour's vines. They spent the next 10 years improving the vineyards, planting more vines and new varieties (including Durif, Nebbiolo and Tannat), and in 2016 packed up the family and make the big move down under full time.

The close-planted vines at the Hard Hill Road Vineyard are nestled along a ridgeline that overlooks the Grampians ranges and are surrounded by a eucalypt forest. With its own special microclimate, the Hard Hill Road Vineyard's cool ripening conditions and naturally low-yielding vines produce wines with layers of intense flavours and a velvety structure. The challenging growing conditions, the unyielding soil, characterised by ironstone and quartz outcrops, and the low annual rainfall conspire to produce fruit of wonderful intensity and balance.

Their focus has been to create modern, cutting edge wines from the historic Grampians region, both from traditional varieties, as well as some lesser known varieties.  Adam's passion is to create wines that surprise the taster, but at the same time truly represent the vineyard in which they were grown. They are one of the few wine growers to plant Nebbiolo in the Grampians, and the only one to grow Tannat and Petite Sirah (also known as Durif). They use these varieties with a novel approach to create a series of unique and engaging red wine blends.