2024 Billy Button ‘The Torment’ Riesling

Christened “The Torment” for its inaugural vintage when Jo broke her own rule- sourcing Billy Button grapes exclusively from the Alpine Valleys.

 Riesling is Jo’s favourite white variety and very little is grown or available in the region.   When some pristine fruit was offered by a grower in the King Valley Jo could not say no and the deal was done! The Croucher Vineyard is at an elevation of 800 metres in the picturesque Whitlands subregion of the King Valley and produces impeccable cool climate fruit.

Say 'reez-ling'

 Vintage Snapshot

A picture-perfect vintage resulted in flawless fruit that was perfectly ripe at picking.  This site in the Whitlands is picked quite late in the season and for the first time in the history of this wine the pick date was not impacted by weather events. Lovely ripeness has resulted in a truly complex and age worthy wine.

Production Notes

The fruit was handpicked and chilled before being crushed, destemmed, and pressed. Once cold settled the juice was racked clean and inoculated with selected yeast to capture varietal character. After a cool and slow ferment, the wine was sulphured and left on lees in stainless steel until clarification and bottling in September 2024.

Tasting Notes

Elegant and perfumed, showcasing aromas of spring bulbs, jasmine and frangipani. These florals are matched with a purity of fruit revealing ripe lemon, lime zest and red apples. The palate bursts with ripe Mayer lemon and is layered and complex with chalky acidity and a delicate salivating tension and drive that will continue to evolve in bottle.

Optimal Drinking Window – now to 2045. Presently displaying an abundance of delicate florals and pure fruit but also has wonderful aging potential.

Technical details

Vineyard:             Croucher Vineyard, Whitlands

Region:                Whitlands, King Valley

Alcohol:               12.5%

Winemaker:         Glenn James and Jo Marsh

Reviews

"This wine has a bit going for it. It tastes of apples and lime, spice and leaf, but it also has beautiful texture, lilt, length and flavour. There’s a steeliness to this; tonic and steel. It’s very good." Rated : 93 Points, Tasted : Jul25, The Wine Front - Campbell Mattinson

"Sourced from the Croucher vineyard at Whitlands, planted '90, and it brings plenty of cool-climate tension to the glass, with zesty acidity and sweet citrus juiciness playing off each other. Fresh cut apple, lemon and lime fruit have impressive concentration against a fine-boned structure. Lip-smacking finish." Awarded 90 points, Halliday Wine Companion, Jeni Port - Published 11 February 2025