Merle is the Pikes hero Riesling, but the ‘Traditionale’ Riesling is really not far behind at all. Forgive the broken record repetition, but widely available, sub $30 wines like this Pikes Traditionale Riesling 2024 are worth celebrating. Green lime and green melon fleshiness in this release – it’s really quite generous, rather than firm. Lime concentrate, and lemongrass. Maybe a little softer than some vintages, although it makes this feel more approachable from the get-go. Good stuff

THE VERDICT

• Best drinking: nowish, no hurry
• Score (out of 20): 18
• Score (out of 100): 93
• Alcohol %: 11.5
• RRP (in $AUD): 28
• Winery website: https://pikeswines.com.au/
• Would I buy it?: