THE FAMILY

The Donaldson Family have been seriously involved in viticulture and winemaking for over 40 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 over 30 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

Cooler and windier conditions during Spring meant lower crop levels, keeping fruit thinning to a minimum.  The weather gods then handed us the opposite during Summer, with a warm and settled state prevailing, so this smaller crop was able to mature beautifully.  Autumn was similarly favourable, allowing each variety to be picked at its optimum ripeness.  Our 2024 harvest saw smaller yields across the board, but as a result we were blessed with intense fruit flavour and concentration, delivering some outstanding wines.

THE HARVEST AND WINEMAKING

After picking during the first half of April, the grapes were crushed and then left in contact with their skins.  Following pressing, the cloudy juice was transferred into old oak puncheons, where it was left to ferment naturally.  The wine was then matured for approximately 3 months in these barrels prior to bottling.

THE WINE

It has an alluring light golden hue.  The bouquet leaps from the glass, a volley of ginger, cinnamon, lychee and lavender at first, soon opening to reveal more intricate mineral and earthy notes, underlain with a hint of gun smoke.  In the mouth it is rich and multi-layered, augmented by unobtrusive sweetness and a simmering phenolic drive, that flows across the palate, leading to a prolonged and spicy close.  Due to the varietal intensity of Gewürz, some additional winemaking techniques have been employed to give the wine extra complexity.  Skin contact offers increased structure, while oak aging on lees has added mouthfeel.