A delicious micro-production Sapling Yard Braidwood Riesling

Braidwood is a town (or village) on the NSW Great Dividing Range NE of Canberra. It’s better known as truffle country rather than for wine, although my memories are weirder after falling asleep on the verge of the Jervis Bay to Braidwood Rd during a milt day adventure race. I’ll never forget waking in panic thinking cars were going to run over me, but too tired to care. Good times!

Anyway, Braidwood is home to the OG Sapling Yard Vineyard and it feels like a place I want to visit. It’s colder than Canberra up there, with granitic soils giving different shapes to the wines. This Sapling Yard Braidwood Riesling 2024 gives off some Germanic vibes too, with a contrast between grapefruit and white peppery citrus thrusts contrasted by just enough sweetness to round out the sharp edges. You’d definitely call this a light and taut style, but the impressive length and sparkling freshness makes for quite an impressive drink, and not hard or aggressively acidic either, Refreshment levels high!

THE VERDICT

• Best drinking: Now to ten years or more
• Score (out of 20): 18
• Score (out of 100): 93
• Alcohol %: 11.5
• RRP (in $AUD): 35
• Winery website:
• Would I buy it?: A few glasses yeah