Grosset Springvale Vineyard

Grosset Springvale is a six hectare vineyard and part of a much larger property at Watervale in the Clare Valley. Grosset Springvale Riesling is produced entirely from Springvale Vineyard.

A truly unique viticultural site due to its geology, relative isolation and high altitude, it was purchased by Grosset in 1999 and planted in 2000. The thin topsoil is made up of red loam over limestone, and, atypical for this sub-region, the vines are deeply rooted in slate bedrock. There is a north-south fault line on the eastern border, limiting the vineyard’s expansion. This formation dates back many hundred million years. Vineyard rows are oriented to optimise sunshine.

Springvale is an A-Grade Certified Organic and Biodynamic (ACO) vineyard. The soil is not worked.

The relatively close-planted vines (2,500/hectare) are hand-tended. Planted entirely to three clones of riesling (one widely planted German, one rare German and one of local origin), the sturdy and resilient vines produce compact yellow-green bunches of moderate sized berries. Hand-harvested, each vine produces an average of two-and-a-half bottles of wine.

The balance of the property is being progressively returned to native vegetation. Greater species diversity facilitates natural pest and disease management.

Grosset Springvale Riesling