2013 Helm Premium Reisling, 2013 Helm Half Dry resiling, 2008 Helm Premium Reisling. Picture: Guy Bailey Source: TheAustralian CANBERRA vigneron Ken Helm grew up among Rutherglen's vines and vineyards, but his tertiary education was centred on biology. In 1967 he moved to Canberra to further his career as a technical officer with CSIRO's Entomology Division. But vines were in his blood and as a young upstart (his description) he joined Canberra's great old (well, older) men Edgar Riek and John Kirk to found the Canberra District Winegrowers' Association in 1974. Like all the pioneer viticulturists in the region, finding frost-free vineyard sites and facing up to the extreme difficulty of establishing new vineyards without irrigation provided challenges. But over the ensuing decades he was persistent. Wine writers became used to receiving interminable press releases from Helm occasioned by winning bronze or silver medals, mainly in local wine shows. Years were to pass until daughter Stephanie, with a degree in law, put her foot down and said, "Dad, you are never to send out a press release again. I will write it for you, and it will only be sent if it has something important to say. She has had second thoughts about law, switching to wine science (topping her first year) and marrying vineyard manager Ben Osborne. And over the past 10 vintages a famine has turned into a feast as Helm has become Canberra's best producer of riesling, the Premium Single Vineyard wine leading the charge. The grapes come from an adjacent single vineyard planted and nurtured by the late Al Lustenberg, now leased by Helm. Helm had been making riesling since 1977, and in 1996 introduced the second, higher priced, Classic Dry Riesling, followed in 2004 by Premium Riesling. The '05, '06, '08, '09 and '10 of the latter wine garnered 13 trophies, innumerable gold medals and 96-point scores from four Australian wine writers. Stephanie will have no problem with press releases when the '13 has done the rounds of the shows. 2013 Helm Premium Riesling Opens with a strikingly fragrant, flowery bouquet, apple and lime blossom to the fore; the palate is intensely flavoured and prodigiously long, yet retains the elegance and finesse of great riesling. Very low pH of 2.9 enhances the minerality that provides structure, and guarantees a long life. 11.5% alc; screwcap. 96 points; drink to 2028; $48 2013 Helm Half Dry Riesling Half dry is the translation of halbtrocken, a Germanic name for this style; Helm is dismissive of the expression "off dry." This is an excellent example of the style, which works best in cool climates. The bouquet is clean and fresh, if only partly open at this stage, the palate perfectly balanced, with a bracing 8g/l of acidity providing the fresh, crisp finish. 11.2% alc; screwcap. 93 points; drink to 2020; $25 2008 Helm Premium Riesling Pale, bright green-gold, the wine has a gloriously fragrant bouquet with complex citrus blossom aromas, the flavours filling the mouth with ripe lime, lemon and citrus peel. Crisp acidity, accentuated by the low pH, provides balance and length, and a minimum 10 years' vitality. 12% alc; screwcap. 97 points; drink to 2023; $NA