2025 Riposte Scimitar Riesling

“Exquisite and pure, the delicately lifted bouquet shows green apple, lime sorbet, and white floral aromas with a hint of wet limestone. It’s concentrated and refined in the mouth, offering a great line and length. Wonderfully composed and styled with splendid structure and harmony. At its best: 2028 to 2040.”

— Sam Kim | Wine Orbit

“Pale and crystalline in the glass, this is Riesling at its most pure and uncompromising. Aromas of lemon zest, lime juice and crushed stone rise with a cool, flinty edge; distinctly Germanic in its poise and precision. Bone dry and beautifully linear, the palate slices with citrus intensity and steely minerality. Lemon rind and slate carry through to a briny, saline finish that lingers like sea spray on rock. Taut, vibrant and quietly powerful. Serve with freshly shucked oysters.”

— Russ Gallagher | Vino Masters

“From a vineyard east of the Watervale township, where lime fruit, juice and zest are the calling cards of the variety; here too more aromatic interest arises in the form of a lime curd and subtle digestive biscuit note. In the drinking it’s all about the citrus, a first wave of tang then a softer tapering of acidity to the exit. Flavour props and an empathetic finish, mouthwatering excitement all with a gentle varietal touch.”

— Tony Love | Winepilot

“From a single vineyard in the Clare Valley, which runs to the east of the town of Watervale. This is, inevitably, very young, but it really does have such promise. The nose is redolent of lemons, freshly sliced limes, florals and a hint of grapefruit. The palate is currently dominated by quite piercing acidity, which will no doubt moderate in time. A mouthwatering style with freshness and length, and impressive length it is. A delicious Riesling with enormous potential. It will handle ten to twelve years with ease.”

— Ken Gargett | Winepilot

“The 2025 The Scimitar Riesling hails from a single vineyard in the Clare Valley, which experienced an extraordinarily dry 2025 season. On the nose, the wine leads with white flowers and lime zest, some talc and wet chalk. In the mouth, the wine is fleshy, pretty and precise. The texture through the finish is chalky, verging on gently sandy, and it offsets the fruit nicely, which is attractive.”

— Erin Larkin | Robert Parker Wine Advocate

“This is one of the first wines that I’ve tried from the 2025 vintage and if this is an indication of the quality that we have coming our way, then we’re in for a treat. This wine tastes of lemon, bath salts and lime and while the finish has a gentle (attractive) chalkiness those juicy fruit characters keep driving through to a long, satisfying close. Intensity of flavour is very good here. Both the drinkability and value of this wine are high.”

— Campbell Mattinson | Mattinson

“Riesling in the right hands is an absolute joy, not to mention the value it represents. Check this Scimitar from Riposte, it’s a cracking drink. Green apples and limes light things up with an attractive mouth perfume from white flowers and a dash of musk. There is a minerally presence from white stones that speaks of its Watervale home. Apple sours rise up and build some tension on the mid-palate. The chalky finish and crunchy acidity seal the deal. A very impressive wine that I suspect will age well too.”

— Qwine | Qwine

“The latest vintage Riesling, just bottled, and showing all of the youthful, zesty, energy you might expect. Reassuringly, The Scimitar also retains the kind of Clare Valley signature delicacy we associate with the Knappstein name. Spring blossom, jasmine aromas with lemon, grapefruit zest and a touch of Thai basil. Acidity is perky, bright and brisk. On the palate it speaks of its source, its fineness, its citrus intensity with green apple crunch and a touch of ginger spice.”

— Jeni Port | Winepilot