The Dry Dam Riesling 2023, D’Arenberg

This has a beautifully intense mandarin orange and lemon sorbet character, with bright, tangy acidity balanced by finely-judged sweetness, resulting in a dry-ish style overall. At only 10% alcohol yet with masses of character, this really is the perfect foil for prawns or langoustines, or Thai, Vietnamese and Malaysian food. It would go equally well with a very British plate of fish and chips. Chester Osborn says that d’Arenberg makes McLaren Vale’s only Riesling, and they prune back hard to heighten the wine’s intensity and pick early for vibrancy and freshness. In theory, this could be cellared up to half a century…but in practice most is drunk up in the first couple of years after the vintage.