Fervor Dokta Nova Riesling 2025

Dry Riesling from three Great Southern sites — Phillips Brook at Albany, Wragg Road at Mount Barker and Shepherd's Hut in the Porongurup. Selective harvesting allowed some pre-pressing skin contact; the free-run juice was cool-fermented with a German Riesling yeast, while the pressings were hyper-oxidised and fermented in old French barriques for texture without oak flavour. Zesty lime and grapefruit ride high floral and lemon-sherbet notes over racing natural acidity (pH 3.05, TA 7.8 g/L), with the length and integration to cellar for ten years or more.

The 2025 season was another strong one for Riesling in the Great Southern. Not as warm as 2024, but the fruit still sat at the riper end for the grape. Fervor calls this their new take on the German style, the one they love most. The Dr on famous German labels often marked an owner who was a physician, and the pun follows from there.

Fervor is Mike and Callum Garland, father and son, working together since 2021. Mike started at Plantagenet in 1996 and later founded Garlands at Mount Barker. Callum came to wine through a vintage as a cellar hand in Denmark, then France and Lethbridge in Geelong.

Ray Jordan gave it 95 points for its texture, spice and lemon rind. Pour it cold with oysters, cured kingfish or a Thai salad. It will build toast and honey over a decade if you can wait.