Foudré Ferment Riesling 2025

The 2012 was the inaugural wine of this style from Best’s and is reflective of the way Riesling was made here in the 1970s. The aromatic Riesling juice is given extended skin contact then wild fermented in a large oak Foudre (barrel), made by the Schneckenleitner family in Austria. The wine exhibits both the complexities of a barrel ferment and spontaneous fermentation without the overt oak flavour, due to the large size and subtlety of the Foudre. This wine is a representation of another facet of Riesling’s charms. The wine is medium bodied with intense fruit flavours that are balanced with lemon rind phenolics and crunchy green apple acidity.

Halliday Wine Companion – Rating 97 points, Jeni Port, February 2026 Left on skins for 24 hours, pressed and racked to two large oak casks, barrel fermentation, left on lees for five months. A wine that says 'not only is it okay to place riesling in oak, but it can open up a wonderful world of flavour and texture'. Aromatic honeysuckle florals and exotic ginger and lemongrass aromas mingle with citrus, pear and apple. Builds on the palate oh-so delicately but deeply with a warm textural mouthfeel. Oak contributes to the umami and a leesy almond mealy-ness, while the purity of riesling fruit shines brightly. A stunner from a top vintage. Rating: 97 points

Jacob Parton Hailing from the NSW cool- climate wine region of Orange, Jacob began working in vineyards from the age of 14. He moved to Sydney to begin an electrical apprenticeship before returning home, where he was offered a maintenance position at Phillip Shaw Wines. After a few months, he joined the vintage team for the 2016 harvest and instantly fell in love with the industry. He worked a further five vintages with Phillip Shaw Wines under the tutelage of Nadja Wallington and the Shaw Family. Completing his degree in Oenology, Jacob spent a vintage in California’s Sonoma Coast, before joining Best’s Great Western in 2021.