The Liberator 'Last Leaf on the Tree' Riesling' 2021

Ask Rick what Last Leaf on the Tree is all about and he’ll likely wax lyrical about how Riesling is the grape the world forgot to love — and how this one might just be the wake-up call. It’s dry, nervy, and citrus-charged, with all the hallmark tension you'd expect from a proper cool-climate Riesling, but softened by a whisper of bottle age and a quiet, stony elegance.

There’s lime pith, green apple and a flicker of beeswax, with a taut backbone of acidity running through it like piano wire. The fruit comes from a high-elevation site in Elgin - one of the few places in South Africa cool enough to make Riesling.

A note from the importer, Rick (the alter ego of Richard Kelley MW, one of the world’s foremost experts on South African wine):
“Episode 41 — Last Leaf on the Tree — is named for its rarity. Riesling is virtually extinct in the Cape, and this small parcel from Elgin is one of the last remaining vines clinging on in a region more inclined toward the commercial and conventional. Vinified dry, it showcases the grape’s naturally racy acidity and potential for subtle development. This wine is a quiet rebellion — crisp, elegant, and determined not to be forgotten.”