Thorley is the home vineyard for Jeremy Schmölzer & winemaker Tessa Brown, with this plot at Stanley in the highest reaches of the Beechworth region, producing mere hatfuls of grapes crafted into beautifully lithe and detailed wines. This sublime Riesling is a wonderful cool climate ad for Riesling too - it hints at exotic fruits, jasmine and high florals with a beautifully taut palate that feels refreshing in a way so rarely seen in Australian wines. What a star.

Beechworth is arguably Victoria's finest wine-growing region, where these two 'Vignerons' have made a home. Architect Jeremy Schmölzer & winemaker Tessa Brown fell in love over a decade ago and forged an incredibly arduous, expensive, and dedicated 'retirement' plan to become not only a family but to be first-generation grape growers. And while still a young couple, our wine 'grower producer' friends combined their unique skillsets and found a picturesque yet fertile, high-altitude site in Beechworth's cooler subregion of Stanley. This magical snowy vineyard is known as 'Thorley' and was planted in 2013. Like a 'yet-to-be-discovered' famous artist, 'Thorley' is already starting to produce wines of uncompromising quality. The couple do everything themselves, with decisions founded in equality, from the winemaking to cooking dinner. Tessa tends to the vineyard with her whip-smart secateurs skills, boasting a palate better than anyone we know, and is an emasculating weapon managing a fully-fledged winery. Jer, has a reputation for being meticulous, he is exacting in what he wants in the style of their wine, and has an incredible eye for detail - from a state-of-the-art vineyard that is waiting to be featured in an architecture magazine. Add their yet-to-be-built winery and cellar door, which will be a spot we will visit in the coming years.