“A true New Zealand classic ..."
This was one of our cooler summers, although we had a good autumn. By leaving the grapes on the vines until later in the season we achieved excellent ripeness with good natural acidity. A modest but reasonable crop level has contributed excellent fruit concentration and body in the wine.
The outcrop of land on which these grapes were grown consists largely of weathered stones and mineral rich gravels. These were shorn off New Zealand’s Southern Alps by an ice-age glacier, which carried them down the valleys and deposited them in selected sites. The vineyard has warm days, but the nights are amongst the coolest in the Waipara Valley, which helps draw out the ripening period and retain good natural acidity. This individual terroir is especially suited to riesling.
The grapes were in perfect condition when they were picked during mid to late May. They were gently pressed and the juice was then fermented slowly at cool temperatures to help the wine retain its vibrant fruit characters and varietal purity. At all stages, from fermentation to bottling, it was handled very carefully to help it retain a little of its natural carbon dioxide. This provides a little additional crispness and may result in a small amount of spritzig when first poured.
There is a spectrum of lively aromas and flavours suggesting lime, lemon and mandarin, intertwined with nectarine, lychee and guava. It is rich and concentrated in the mouth but a spine of crisp acidity and minerality keep it elegant and tight knit, while its off dry finish provides excellent balance. Tangy hints of ginger and spice draw out its length and linger on the palate well after swallowing. Although ready to drink on release, careful cellaring for five – 10 years should add a range of other fascinating nuances.
“A true New Zealand classic ..."
Awarded Super Classic Status "This is classy stuff."
“Surely a classic in its own right”
“Canterbury with its sunshine and big diurnal shifts is the beating heart of NZ Riesling production with Pegasus Bay arguably the country's best-known producer for the grape.”
“ … Pegasus Bay’s rieslings remain New Zealand benchmarks …”
“ … Layered zesty and savoury finish makes this quite unique.”
“ … Aromatic and brilliant. Full body. Vivid and medium-sweet on the palate. Steely and clear.”
“… . a lengthy, scented appeal … a sense of firmness and structure here, with phenolics and acidity providing direction on the finish.”
“… Really good! Let's see it again in 10 years.”
“Complex, layered aromatics … A taut, salivating, and intense palate with concentrated lime fruit, a crystalline texture, and bracing zippy acid. A touch of sweetness on the finish provides the perfect balance.”
“The 2020 Riesling from Pegasus Bay is a succulent and satisfying mouthfeel … well balanced, running the gauntlet between austerity and sweetness, sweetly.”
“Wonderfully fruited and immediately appealing … Opulent yet harmonious … long and luscious”
“Fantastic bouquet, pure, ripe, zesty and fresh … Delicious, fresh and just dry on the finish.”
“… Sweetness is nicely balanced by tangy acidity giving the wine an exquisite tension. Complex and concentrated.”
“ … This complex, heavy-weight Riesling is packed with flavours, concentration and a long, balanced drive”
“Classy stuff … it is weighty and rich … a very harmonious finish".
“ … Articulate and rounded with the sweetness adding definition and depth … Delicious.”
“ … Quite rich, full bodied and flavoursome with a spritz element and a zesty finish.”
“… A light CO2 spritz on the entry makes for a lively start … Satisfying weight and depth are accompanied by roundness from the residual sugar (28g/L) while the fine acidity and textural phenolics provide a sense of structure …”
“ … Pegasus Bay Riesling is one of New Zealand’s greatest white wines every year. It’s a maverick, brave, adventurous white that is delicious now and ages for a decade and then some.”
“Immensely complex and enticing … ” gorgeously flavoursome palate that's filled with succulent fruit flavours and spicy nuances. It's generous and opulent yet refined and structured with a persistent delicious finish.”
“ … Delicious, fleshy and long.”
“ … vibrant and refreshing … multilayered richness and precision”
“ … delicious wine is full of youthful impact. Rich and vibrant, …”
“ … rich, luscious … unctuous. A big, bold, beautiful statement wine.”
“ … a distinctive wine with notable persistence".
“Gorgeously ripe and inviting … awesome concentration … Splendidly harmonious and filled with delectable flavours”
“ … Restrained lusciousness with a lingering finish"
“ … Concentrated, with gentle sweetness … good acid spine”
“ … The palate has a very supple and succulent feel … Very complex texture. Superb.”
“ … crisp but not high acidity, … A very harmonious wine, it’s delicious …”
“ … long, fluid build of concentrated citrus and stone fruit flavours. Terrific depth”
“North Canterbury is one of the world’s great Riesling regions … To call this wine ‘iconic’ is to wildly understate the greatness of both the region and of the winemaker….”
“ ... irresistibly delicious … sumptuous palate … excellent depth and intensity … balanced and harmonious”
“Off-dry and packed with richness, this has a wealth of ripe peach and mango fruits. The palate has bracing acidity that lifts really weighty …”
“… Rich, concentrated and flavoursome Riesling … Sweetness is balanced by fruity acidity and fine tannins. A powerful wine with character.”
“Very nice balance for a Spätlese style of wine. Real refreshment and vitality. Nice savoury undertow. Racy and with good length.”
“ Very aromatic bouquet … very fresh, lively - dancing on the palate …”
“ … The wine carries smoothly to an elegant, long lingering finish. … elegantly rich and luscious medium Riesling … a fine-textured, refreshing palate…”
“…is a soft, rich, medium Riesling with exotic flavours of limes, honey and musk “
“ A richly-textured wine with benchmark varietal flavours.”
“ … beguiling core of intensity and complexity … A delicious example of Riesling … ”
"This distinctive style of Riesling is jam-packed with honey, tree fruit/apricot and orange marmalade flavours (among many others)..."
“. . . an absolutely outstanding wine with intense concentration of colour, aroma, flavour, body and acidity; The finish is very long finish and this wine shows an exceptional response to the climate that it comes from. . . serious and very complex….This wine was my favourite for its great balance and intense fresh flavours.”
“… This has much more to unfold…. the palate features soft, ripe, up-front citrus fruit and honied flavours along with nuances of exotic yellow florals. The mouthfeel is smooth-flowing with a fine phenolic line and discreet, lacy acidity guiding the palate….This is a soft, rich and gently succulent medium Riesling with citrus and honied flavours and toasty detail.”
“…This has developed some secondary nuance and is quite complete in expression. … The wine has concentration and follows a very fine line leading to a very long and sustained honied finish. This is a rich and harmonious medium Riesling with complex nuances, underlying vitality and a complete mouthfeel. . . . “
"Bright, light lemon/green, with lovely poise and concentration. Showing real depth through the palate, it is peachy, slightly limey, and honeyed, with gentle sweetness, good acid spine, and a touch of bottle-aged complexity. Drink now or cellar."
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