THE FAMILY.

The Donaldson Family have been seriously involved in viticulture and winemaking for over 40 years. Founder Ivan Donaldson planted the first Canterbury vineyard in 1976 and went on to establish Pegasus Bay in 1986 with his wife Christine. It is a true family business with all four of their sons and two spouses involved, managing various aspects.

THE VINEYARD AND VINES.

The vineyard is located within the Waipara Valley of North Canterbury, on free draining, north facing terraces carved out of New Zealand’s Southern Alps by an ice-age glacier. 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 over 30 years old, with a large proportion planted on their own roots. The soil is free draining and 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.

Variable conditions over flowering resulted in a moderate fruit set. The subsequent warm summer then allowed the grapes to ripen beautifully. Naturally smaller berry size and loose open bunches helped accelerate ripening, allowing us to pick the fruit a little earlier this season than usual.

THE HARVEST AND WINEMAKING.

This is a unique expression of a traditional white Bordeaux blend using approximately 70% Sauvignon Blanc & 30% Semillon. Both varieties were picked in stages during April, timing each harvest to optimise the grapes’ range of natural flavours. These varieties were fermented separately, the majority of the Sauvignon in stainless steel to retain the pure fruit character, and all of the Semillon in oak puncheons to add texture. A small percentage of the Sauvignon Blanc was also matured in new French barrels to give extra length and complexity. Both varieties were aged on their natural deposits of yeast lees (sur lie) for approximately 10 mths, prior to blending. Once bottled, the wine was left to age for another year before release, allowing it to integrate further.

THE WINE.

The colour is pale lemon with aromas of citrus blossom, lemon, gooseberry and passionfruit. There is also a hint of struck match complexity arising from skin contact during fermentation. The Semillon component helps fill out the palate, adding fruit weight, richness and age-ability, while also acting to restrain the exuberance of the sauvignon blanc. While the lees contact has added texture and body, the wine remains focussed, with a crisp refreshing acidity that emphasises its mineral notes.

Download Tasting Notes


“Pegasus Bay Sauvignon Semillon is one of my favourite New Zealand Wines”

- Joelle Thomson, joellethomson.com NZ

2020

92/100
“ … The palate is dry with plenty of extract and a sense of innate power within a honed core. It is firm and focused with texture and weightThis is a complex, layered white Bordeaux blend …”
- Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, USA
19/20
This maverick take on a dry white Bordeaux blend has superb complexity aligned with freshness It is a beautiful drink now and can age for up to a decade …”
- Joelle Thomson, Drinksbiz Magazine, NZ
92/100
“… A bold and distinctive white wine …”
- Bob Campbell MW. The Real Review, NZ
This distinctive Waipara, North Canterbury wine is concentrated and complex, with loads of personality …”
- Michael Cooper, www.michaelcooperwines.co.nz, NZ
95/100
Complex and attractive a delicious textured wine … The lees and light wood notes add complexity and length …”
- Cameron Douglas MS, www.camdouglasms.com, NZ
18.5/20
“ … The flavours are complex and weighty; richness and ripe phenolics contribute to an unctuous palate and a lengthy finish … “
- Candice Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, NZ
93/100

“… Lengthy with excellent concentration"

- James Suckling Wine Reviews, www.jamesSuckling.com, USA

2019

94/100

“… Fantastic depth … Creamy and layered, with a long, vivid and tangy finish.”

- James Suckling Wine Reviews, www.jamesSuckling.com, USA
93/100

“Exotic and very floral ... Delicious, fresh, salty and mouth watering with a long finish.”

- Cameron Douglas MS, www.camdouglasms.com, NZ
92/100
“ … an intensity of concentration on the midpalate that packs a punch … It's idiosyncratic but it's also intriguing.”
- Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, USA
19/20
A beautiful wine for savouring now or cellaring …”
- Joelle Thomson, Drinksbiz Magazine, NZ
94/100
“Wonderfully fruited and complex … it's powerfully expressive and persistent on the palate delivering excellent weight … Harmonious and flavoursome with engaging flavours."
- Sam Kim, www.wineorbit.co.nz, NZ
19/20

“ … The combination offers a great deal of complexity and punch, with the rich, concentrated nuances, lends a sophisticated, long finish … “

- Candice Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, NZ

2018

94/100
“Flint, dried-apple and stone aromas follow through to a full body with depth and intensity. Very dry and layered. Even chewy. Dried mango at the end. Flavourful finish. Solid.”
- James Suckling Wine Reviews, www.jamesSuckling.com, USA
96/100
Wonderfully complex and engaging It's richly textured with firm acidity, making it structured and immensely long on the finish”.
- Sam Kim, www.wineorbit.co.nz, NZ
94/100
“ … Harmonious and complete dynamic citrus and stone fruit flavours. Delicious, balanced and well made.”.
- Decanter Magazine
17/20
“ … young but likely to gain in complexity thanks to the balance that is already obvious. Crisp but deep”.
- Julia Harding, www.jancisrobinson.com, UK
18.5/20
This is a new vintage of one of the country’s best dry whites from North canterbury’s Pegasus Bay Winery Drinks deliciously well now and can age for at least a decade …”.
- Joelle Thomson, Drinksbiz Magazine, NZ
17.5/20
“ … This is always a consistent wine and it ages very well - easily a decade, often more …”.
- Stephen Wong MW
“The distinctive North Canterbury wine has loads of personality…”
- Michael Cooper, Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide, NZ
95/100
Totally captivating bouquet A totally delicious wine - I wish more people could discover this fantastic example.”  .
- Cameron Douglas MS, www.camdouglasms.com, NZ

2017

95/100
 “… Gorgeously complex and engaging … concentrated palate that's vibrant and richly textured at the same time … opulent and powerful … mouth-watering.”.
- Sam Kim, www.wineorbit.co.nz, NZ
94/100
“ a very complex and zesty style … a rich, powerfully concentrated frame. … ”
- Nick Stock, www.jamesSuckling.com, USA
“ … The distinctive North Canterbury wine has loads of personality … and a tightly structured, lasting finish."
- Michael Cooper, Listener magazine, NZ

2016

92/100
“ … the palate is well balanced and quite precise and detailed, presenting a fine bead of acidity … Excellent
- Antonio Galloni Vinous, USA
18.5/20
“ … The nose is firmly concentrated and beautifully proportioned with elegant, but intensely concentrated aromas …. Elegant, vibrant, finely concentrated ….”
- Raymond Chan, raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, NZ
94/100
“Concentrated and quite funky wine, with weight and texture ..."
- Bob Campbell MW, bobcampbell.nz, NZ

2015

93/100
A very concentrated full-tilt take on the Style . A wealth of ripe lemon, cool herbs and bright tropical fruit accents as well as papaya on the palate. Flesh and acidity are well matched”. 
- Nick Stock, jamessuckling.com, USA
An absolute classic, none of our judges were surprised….. absolutely set the bar for this exotic and exciting style over the decades. …Gorgeous stuff.”
- Yvonne Lorkin, Dish magazine, NZ
This is one of the South Island’s most complex and interesting white wines ….. richly textural white, modelled on the best Bordeaux whites and putting Canterbury’s finest”
- Joelle Thomson, joellethomson.com, NZ

2014

91/100
“… intensely scented … medium to full-bodied with a decadent oiliness to the texture, it fills the palate … finishing with great persistence …”
- Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, eRobertParker.com, USA
“   One of my favourite New Zealand wines and one that I buy extremely regularly and love even more every time I open it – again, it’s all about savoury flavours complex creamy notes … fresh and zesty” 
- Joelle Thomson, joellethomson.com, NZ
91+/100
“…Really leaves the taste buds quivering … A rather uncompromising, idiosyncratic Sauvignon-Semillon blend in the style of a white Bordeaux.
- Steve Tanzer, vinous.com, USA
18+/20
“… This is a moderately rich, concentrated and harmoniously presented Sauvignon/Semillon blend with subtle complexities and a soft, dry finish. ….”
- Raymond Chan, raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, NZ
“ … concentrated and complex, with loads of personality … A very distinctive wine” 
- Michael Copper, michaelcooper.co.nz, NZ

2012

94/100
"This wine has excellent fruit freshness, complexity balance and length. Oatmeal, stone fruit and tropical fruits with complexity. In the mouth a complex cascading quince citrus and finishing lychee awash in tropical zesty acidity with fresh ripe citrus, passionfruit, guava, lemon and pink grapefruits all offering flavours to drive exceptional length and complexity.
- Rob Geddes MW, Author of Australia Wine Vintages
”The fruit richness is balanced and cut by crisp acidity, and the palate is elegant in proportion with a fine phenolic line smoothly carrying the wine. As the wine flows, the palate tends to dryness and the flavours lead to a long, lingering finish. This is an elegantly concentrated Sauvignon/Semillon blend with fresh, fruit and a fine linearity and dry mouthfeel. …”
- Raymond Chan, raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, NZ
This is a seriously powerful white wine and clearly semillon is an excelsior in the blend; wonderfully decedent and invigorating, drinking well now but you can sense with its unbridled power and cut it will cellar for 10 years or more.
- Curtis Marsh, thewanderingpalate.com
A serious and muscular Sauvignon dominant blend with ripe green fruits and a complex smoky, flinty element.
- Wine NZ magazine

2011

92/100
Pale straw-tinged yellow. Complex, bracing aromas of gooseberry, white pepper, ginger, quinine, crushed stone and dusty herbs, plus a hint of lanolin. Broad, spicy and quite dry, with firm acidity giving excellent cut to the subtle flavors of citrus fruits and floral oils; more concentrated than the overwhelming majority of New Zealand's sauvignon-based wines. The long finish features a bitter-edged grapefruit note that calls for a year or two of patience.
- Steve Tanzer, internationalwinecellar.com, USA
The flavours lead to a very long, lingering, tightly bound finish. This is a very elegant, concentrated Sauvignon Blanc based wine with very fine textures and complex flavours.
- Raymond Chan, raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, NZ
This is one of the country’s best sauvignon blancs, but not as you normally know it. A little Semillon in this blend goes a long way towards creating a rainbow of flavours…The result is complex, fascinating flavours with richness, depth and length to burn.
- Joelle Thompson, Your Weekend magazine, NZ
Download Reviews

Pegasus Bay

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Off Licence.
Licence Holder:Donaldson Family Limited T/A:Pegasus Bay Winery.
Licence no:57/OFF/458/2022 Exp:16/3/2025