When you have been tasting wine for several years, you likely will taste the same wine from a winery, but from a different vintage. One such wine for me is the Pewsey Vale Vineyard Estate Riesling from the Eden Valley in Australia. I typically taste this wine shortly after it is released, so it should be fresh and young. As Riesling ages with time in the bottle, the aromas and flavours can and do change.
I checked my wine tasting notes and I see that I’ve tasted seven different vintages of this wine. I thought it would be interesting to share my tasting notes for those seven vintages, then offer some insights in the similarities and differences for these vintages, covering aromas, flavours, acidity, body, etc. when they are still young. Are certain vintages more similar to other vintages? Has the wine’s aromas and flavours profile changed over time, which could be an effect of climate change, or could be caused by the winemaker’s winemaking decisions?
Let me first provide you with my past wine tasting notes and then my comments.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Pewsey Vale Vineyard Estate Eden Valley Riesling 2024 – presents a clear lemon-straw hue in the glass. The nose offers medium intensity aromas led by petrol, with lesser amounts of stone fruit and lime that remain unchanged after decanting. The palate is off-dry with medium-plus body, higher acidity and a lean, slightly thick texture, showing petrol, citrus, pith and a touch of peach. It tastes drier after decanting while the intensity stays consistent. This wine finishes with medium-plus length, marked by bright acidity, tart citrus, petrol and a touch of bitterness. 
Pewsey Vale Vineyard Estate Eden Valley Riesling 2022 – It has a clear, bright lemon-green colour. Medium-minus intensity aromas of citrus mainly, with lesser amounts of stone fruits, spearmint and white flowers. This wine is off-dry, lighter-bodied, and has higher acidity. Mostly citrus flavours, along with lesser amounts of floral, mineral and pepperiness. Stone fruit flavour and grape stem flavours noted after decanting. A longer length.
Pewsey Vale Vineyard Eden Valley Estate Riesling 2020 – Bright straw with a green tint. Medium-plus aromas of lime, lemon, petrol, white flowers and a touch of orange. Slightly off-dry, high acidity, with a round, thicker mouthfeel. Lemon, lime, crisp apples, and light petrol on the palate. A medium-plus length finishing dry, with citrus and a touch of citrus pith flavours. 
Pewsey Vale Vineyard Eden Valley Estate Riesling 2019 – A Riesling with long ageing potential. Pretty white flowers on the nose with a touch of petrol. Thicker mouthfeel, with vibrant acidity and bright fruit flavours, covering pears, apples, and touches of lime and minerality.
Pewsey Vale Vineyard Eden Valley Estate Riesling 2018 – A medium intensity bright lemon colour. It has a medium intensity nose showing petrol and citrus along with touches of floral and honey. This wine is dry, is semi-round, has a light mouth feel, and bright yet soft acidity. You get bright citrus flavours along with petrol, salty minerality, and some pepperiness on the finish.
Pewsey Vale Vineyard Eden Valley Estate Riesling 2017 – Light floral and apple aromas. Lighter body. Citrus and tart green fruit flavours along with a touch of petrol. Medium acidity.
Pewsey Vale Vineyard Estate Eden Valley Riesling, 2011 – Nice lime, lychee and flowers on the nose. Medium minus body, light acidity with lots of citrus and stone fruit flavours. Very tasty.
Comparison of Vintages
The more recent vintages, such as 2024 and 2022, show the vibrancy and precision that Pewsey Vale is known for. The 2024 vintage is already expressing pronounced petrol on the nose, with aromas and flavours of lime, stone fruit and citrus pith, along with a slightly off-dry palate and higher acidity giving a lean mouth feel. In contrast, the 2022 vintage is lighter in body and aromatics, driven more by citrus, white flowers and spearmint, with minimal petrol influence. Both share bright acidity, but 2024 feels more intense and textural, while 2022 leans toward purity and delicacy.
The middle vintages show more weight and complexity. The 2020 and 2019 vintages, in particular, show a balance of ripe fruit, vibrant acidity and developing secondary notes. The 2020 offers medium-plus intensity aromas of lime, lemon, petrol and a touch of orange, supported by a thicker mouthfeel and crisp apple on the palate. The 2019 vintage feels similar in texture, with lively acidity and flavours of pear, apple, lime and minerality, and only a touch of petrol. These two vintages form a harmonious pair, showing how texture and fruit richness can coexist with structure and freshness. The 2018 vintage sits just behind them, slightly lighter in body and drier in style, showing citrus, petrol and salty minerality, with softer edges yet still true to the Pewsey Vale profile.
The older vintages take a softer and more delicate turn. The 2017 offers light floral and apple aromas with citrus and tart green fruit on the palate, minimal petrol and medium acidity, making it feel more restrained compared to the later vintages. The 2011 vintage moves even further from the petrol-toned modern expressions, delivering lime, lychee, stone fruit and floral notes with softer acidity and no discernible petrol character.
Tasting through these wines highlights Pewsey Vale’s ability to showcase terroir-driven consistency while allowing each vintage to speak with its own tone, whether sharp and youthful, textured and balanced or with softer acidity.
You can buy Pewsey Vale Vineyard Estate Riesling at BC Liquor stores. The 2023 vintage is available at select Everything Wine, Marquis, and Legacy Liquor stores
