TOPE Wine Reviews
Riesling Reviews
2023 TOPE 100 Osmond Riesling- Clare Valley- 93 Points
A good Clare Riesling with textural breadth and a hint of phenolic density that mitigates the general dry austerity of the regional style. The usual array of lime twists and turns before a riff on quince, crab apples and fennel. Excellent persistence and length. Should age very well across the mid-term. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
Ned Goodwin MW- James Suckling
Senior Editor
2023 TOPE Dual Citizen Riesling- Clare Valley- 91 Points
Looser knit than the Osmond and more punter-friendly as a result. Rose's lime and a basting of yuzu, anise and quince paste. Bright spa-salt accents segue to talcy acidity and a sour-apple jangle across the finish. On the lighter side of mid-weighted. A little sweetness, yet palpably dry. Exactly what many anticipate from the regional idiom. Delivering the goods. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
Ned Goodwin MW
Senior Editor
February 2024
TOPE “Dual Citizen” Riesling 2023 - 94+ points
TOPE “100 Osmond” Riesling 2023 - 94+ points
“I decided to write about Topé’s two Rieslings together because I honestly feel this is how they should be enjoyed. The Dual Citizen comes from the Clare sub-region of Hill River, while the 100 Osmond is grown a short distance away in Armagh.
They both express themselves with pronounced fragrance, with overlaps – lemon, peach – but also distinctions: Dual Citizen also chalk, orange blossom and jasmine flower, while 100 Osmond presents fresh honeysuckle, lime and apricot. These fragrances set you up for glorious palates, which come alive with acid zing, chalky minerality, and silky textures. While the Dual Citizen has a salty, mouth-watering element to it, the 100 Osmond is a tad brighter and more elegant. You want to guzzle down the Dual Citizen while the 100 Osmond asks you to have a bit more patience. And the price? Get outta here.
I was given an extra bottle each of these Rieslings and I intend on cellaring them for at least another five to ten years, because I predict great things ahead for them still.”
- Wine Pilot, Brendan Black
TOPE Cabernet Sauvignon Reviews
2022 TOPE P+R Cabernet Sauvignon- Clare Valley- 92 Points
Plenty to like here. A juicy, mid-weighted expression boasting fidelity to the blue-gum scrub of the Clare, while exuding notes of clove, crushed blackcurrant, dried sage and a swab of black olive across the nicely wrought finish, loose enough to allow the fruit to flow while taut enough, too, to placate the drinker seeking a beam of tension. Good drinking. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
Ned Goodwin MW
Senior Editor
February 2024
TOPE “P+R” Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 - 93 points
The P+R Cabernet is a surprising wine. The incredibly perfumed, fruity aromas leap from the glass, with blackberry and black plum predominating, and menthol, herbs and tomato leaf joining them. The palate then leans towards the savoury spectrum, with concentrated flavours that gel marvelously with food, particularly something rich and spicy. Overall, there is great balance, as the relatively low alcohol sits firmly in the background.
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This is still quite a baby, with all its characters sitting firmly in the primary realm, and I feel it will continue to have a slow and steady development over the next decade.
- Wine Pilot, Brendan Black