“…. A wine of great depth, beauty and harmony, it has rich, oily peach, apricot and honey flavours, abundant sweetness, good acid spine and an enduring finish.”
- Michael Cooper, www.michaelcooperwines.com, NZ
Encore
THE FAMILY
The Donaldson Family have been seriously involved in viticulture and winemaking for almost 50 years. Founder Ivan Donaldson planted one of Canterbury’s first vineyards in 1976 and went on to establish Pegasus Bay in 1986 with his wife Christine. It is a true family business, with the second generation now actively involved.
THE VINEYARD AND VINES
The vineyard is located within the Waipara Valley of North Canterbury, on free draining, north facing terraces. It benefits from being in the lee of the Teviotdale Range, giving maximum protection from the Pacific’s easterly breezes and thus creating a unique mesoclimate. The vines are close to 40 years old, with a large proportion planted on their own roots. They are located on the “Glasnevin Gravels” where greywacke stones, silt and loam have been washed down from the mountains over the millennia. The soil is of low fertility, resulting in naturally reduced vine vigour. This produces low yields of optimally ripened, high quality, flavourful grapes, which fully express the qualities of this unique terroir. The vineyard has warm days, but the nights are amongst the coolest in the Waipara Valley, drawing out the ripening period of the grapes, while still retaining good natural acidity.
THE SEASON
Settled and very hot weather over flowering delivered a bumper fruit set that necessitated considerable crop thinning. A wet and tepid January was followed by variable weather and a cooler than average autumn. Late season conditions, however, were favourable for the development of noble botrytis, essential to produce this wine style. Careful management around pick dates and rigorous bunch selection were essential to ensure fruit arriving at the winery was of the highest quality possible.
THE HARVEST AND WINEMAKING
Encore is part of our reserve series and is dependent on specific conditions at the end of the season leading to noble rot. This wine is made in the style of an Alsatian Selection des Grains Nobles, or a German Trockenbeerenauslësen. Riesling grapes were left to hang until late autumn, and then hand-picked, choosing the most beautifully botrytic fruit. Further hand selection was carried out in the winery, retaining only the best berries. These were gently pressed, and a small amount of very rich juice obtained. This was transferred into tank, where it was left to gradually ferment at low temperatures, to preserve varietal purity and help the wine express the unique characters of our region.
THE WINE
With an alluring pale gold hue, Encore 2025 presents a delightfully fragranced nose, replete with lychee, apricot, honeyed pear and chocolate orange. Nestled within there are also suggestions of linden blossom, sweet spices and a whisp of cut hay. On the generous and engaging palate your senses are fully occupied. Succulent fruit intensity is complemented by charming sweetness and a whip of lively acidity, setting the stage for a long and luscious finish.
2017
“This is totally delicious …. It's creamy and velvety with refreshing acidity, finishing persistent and gratifying.”
- Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, NZ
“… Very intense, exotic wine … Delicious now but no rush.”
- Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review, NZ
“ ... An exciting and delicious wine …”
- Cameron Douglas MS, www.camdouglasms.com, NZ
“… This Noble Riesling shows impressive arrays of flavour, strength and balance, lending an incredibly moreish, pleasing finish ...”
- Candice Chow, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, NZ
“The 2017 Riesling Encore Noble does botrytis the way it's supposed to be done … “
- Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous,USA
“… The wine is just so delicious ….”
- Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate, www.robertparker.com, USA
“… Lusciously sweet, full-bodied wine with vivid acidity which balances out the palate. Rather concentrated and complex wine with fascinating fragrance and aromatics.”
- James Suckling Wine Reviews, www.jamessuckling.com, USA
2016
Trophy Sweet wine of the year WINESTATE, Australia
“… A very elegant wine …. finely balanced and lasting”
- Michael Cooper, www.michaelcooper.co.nz, NZ
“ There is an impressive concentration of sugar and flavor in this botrytis riesling. Lime and peach fruits, as well as marmalade and dried apricots. Luscious and balanced”
- Nick Stock, jamessuckling.com, USA
“ … The freshness here is an utter delight, a lip-smacking edge to the gorgeously long close creates a superb sense of balance”
- Mark Henderson, Otago Daily Times, NZ
“ … It’s wonderfully sweet and rich … the balance is superb and the finish lasts into next week. Wow!”
- Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, USA
“ … The taut focused palate is very well balanced, with a fine line of acidity …. Excellent”
- Neal Martin, Antonio Galloni, Vinous, USA
“Concentrated, luscious, … bush honey, pineapple, ginger and ripe peach … very lengthy finish”
- Bob Campbell MW. bobcampbell.nz, NZ
“ … concentrated core of ripe exotic fruit … delicious rich and near-unctuous concentrated Noble Riesling …. “
- Raymond Chan, raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, NZ
2014
“ … This really is a delicious dessert wine.”
- Bob Campbell MW, bobcampbell.nz, NZ
“...sweet and decadent to taste and light-medium bodied, lusciously rich flavours of ripe, exotic tropical fruits and citrus fruits are melded with honey, marmalade, crystallised fruits and a little toffee. …. This is a rich and luscious botrytis-affected sweet Riesling with layers of exotic fruits, marmalade and lifted florals, and a soft, near unctuous mouthfeel. ….”.
- Raymond Chan, raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, NZ
“… exquisitely balanced with a delicious silkiness on the palate. Great complexity and an absolute delight.” .
- Mark Henderson, Otago Daily Times, NZ
“ …. rich, sweet and unctuous, … a wonderful backbone of refreshing acid and a finish that just goes on and on.”
- Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, USA
2013
“ …. layers of flavour, lively acidity, and a sweet, lasting finish.” .
- Winestate Magazine, AUS
2011
“. . impressive purity and a lingering finish that refuses to quit . ."
- Bob Campbell MW, bobcampbellwinereviews.com, NZ
“…Very rich and opulent, this is nectar-like with an unctuous and rounded mouthfeel. Decadent flavours of citrus fruits, marmalade, honey and toffee unfold in gentle waves, and the wine coats the palate. The fruit and botrytis show great presence and intensity. Lifted floral and VA elements cut the richness with fine, underlying acidity lending drive. The wine flows seamlessly to a soft, lush, very long, lingering finish. This is a rich and unctuous botrytised Riesling.
- Raymond Chan, raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, NZ
2010
TOP TIP Golden in colour and honeyed on the nose this is classical dessert wine. The concentrated fruit in the palate shows lemon, citrus and a nudge of marmalade. Unctuous and everlasting. Yum.
- TizWine.com, NZ
This was the panel’s favourite wine in the New Release tasting. It just strikes that perfect balance between fruit sweetness and acidity making it the perfect dessert wine. Yum!
- Wine NZ magazine, NZ
“… has a profoundly scented nose of acacia honey, apricot preserves and orange marmalade with touches of frangipani and dried mango. Fully sweet, rich and viscous, it gives a satisfying tropical fruit and honey layers with a good line of enlivening acid and a long finish.”
- Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, USA
