NZ Riesling

Tasting Notes
Lime blossom, orange rind, white lotus flower and schist mineral notes on the nose lead to a spicy tightly textured palate expressing gorgeous poise, drive and balance.
About the Wine
An estate grown, single block selection made from grapes grown at our Two Paddocks’ Red Bank Vineyard in Alexandra, Central Otago, our Dry Riesling is a thought provoking expression of this location. A balance of acidity and dryness means it’s a perfect fit for food matches - the perfect counter-balance to a creamy pasta dish like a cabonara, the fresh saltiness of Oysters kilpatrick and holds its own against vibrant and spicy Asian dishes.

Vintage Comments
A mild, wet 2022 winter meant soils held a lot of water going into the spring and inter-row companion crops including clover, phacelia and barley got off to a strong start. Early spring was very cold and then as spring warmed up in November shoot growth was strong. Flowering started the first week in December and fruit set was considered good on most blocks. Mid-summer heat was high and growing degree days were above 2022 and on par with 2019 by the end of the season.

Picking dates were moving forward until the second half of March when the heat ran out and the final ripening was slow and cool. Harvest started on the 27th of March at Red Bank Vineyard and finished on the 21st of April at The First Paddock, Gibbston. Cropping levels were just short of the optimum 2022 crop.

VINEYARD MANAGEMENT - Crafted from a tiny half-hectare block of clone 110 at Two Paddocks Red Bank Vineyard at Earnscleugh, Central Otago, which consistently produces the ripest and most intense Riesling on the estate. All grapes are grown using organic principles, hand harvested and fermented in stainless steel.

The soils in this block are well draining schist loam and the vines tend to thrive. Additionally, the hot day time temperatures that Alexandra experiences over summer encourages riper stone fruit flavours, until late afternoon when the ‘Roxburgh Doctor’ wind arrives and causes a dramatic drop in temperature and hence the significantly cooler nights that the region is known for.

WINE MAKERS NOTE: Whole bunch pressed and then a light racking before fermentation. An indigenous fermentation which took 5 weeks at between 14-21 degrees Celsius. The wine was then held on light lees until it was racked and filtered for clarity and stabilisation prior to bottling.

Vineyard & Viticulture 

Felton Road farms four properties totaling 34 ha in the Bannockburn subregion of Central Otago.  Block 1 is a north facing slope immediately west of Block 3 on The Elms vineyard. It consists of the same Waenga soils (deep silt loams) as Block 3 and starkly contrasts the schist gravel soils of our Riesling in Blocks 2 and 4. Meticulous summer management of a single vertical shoot positioned (VSP) canopy ensures even and early fruit maturity. Shoot thinning, shoot positioning, leaf plucking, bunch thinning and harvest are all carried out by hand to ensure optimum quality fruit. Cover crops are planted between rows to assist in vine balance and to improve soil health and general biodiversity.

Vinification 

Riesling from Block 1 was carefully hand-picked on April 19 followed by whole bunch pressing. The juice was settled for 6 days, then racked and followed by a relatively fast 2 week fermentation with indigenous yeasts. The fermentation was stopped by chilling to balance the high natural acidity with residual sweetness of 56g/L, resulting in the low alcohol of 9.5%. The wine rested on fine lees with minimal processing (no fining or cold stabilisation) before bottling in lateAugust to highlight the delicate Riesling characters.

Tasting Note

Intense aromas of nectarine and apricot are complimented by attractive florals and hints of marzipan. Mature Riesling vines grown in the heavy silt loam soils of north facing Block 1, has, as always, produced this distinctive, pure and refreshing style of Riesling. The natural sweetness is there, but attractively bound in the bright acidity and light (9.5% alc) framework. Irresistible now, but also extremely age-worthy for further complexities to emerge.

The Main Divide is the name of the Southern Alps and a range of great wines made by the Pegasus Bay winemaking team. These wines consistently over deliver, drink beautifully when young with their rich and opulent house style - and also age surprisingly well, given the modest price they cost.

The Riesling grapes in this wine were picked over several weeks at between 23-25 brix, which creates rich, tasty Riesling. Fermentation was in stainless steel at cool temperatures and the finished wine retains a little carbon dioxide, which accentuates fresh zingy flavours in the wine, which contains 24 grams of residual sugar.

It's a full bodied, opulent style with a crisp finish.

Dry, full bodied, iconoclastic Riesling from New Zealand's king of spatlese styles, Mat Donaldson and his winemaking team at Pegasus Bay Winery, which is New Zealand's greatest Riesling producer. 

This wine, Bel Canto, is the queen of the winery's Riesling range. It is bone dry with 5 grams per litre of residual sugar due to high brix (grape sugars) at harvest time and a small percentage of noble rot (also known as botrytis). It drinks well now and can age for the long term; up to and beyond 10 years. 

Extended hang time on the vines has resulted in the intensely ripe, tropical fruit flavours in the grapes which were picked to retain refreshing, high but balanced acidity. The free run juice was fermented slowly at cool temperatures to retain fruit characters and varietal purity. Alcoholic fermentation was left to continue until residual sugar of 5 g/l was achieved. Retention of a little of natural carbon dioxide gives spritz character to add liveliness and accentuate freshness.

Classic by name and by nature. This is a full bodied, mouth filling, medium dry Riesling that is brimming with flavour, such as ripe orange, peach and mandarin. Its juicy acidity adds tension to the wine, providing a structured and beautiful aromatic white with flavours of ripe stonefruit supported by notes of freshness that lend it a long, succulent finish that tastes dry following the rich mid palate. The palate is vibrant, intense and focused with orange, nectarine and cream flavours and a good line of juicy acidity.

Peregrine's quest for outstanding Central Otago wine begins in the three distinct sub-regions from which we draw our fruit: Bendigo, Pisa and Gibbston, where their landmark winery rises up amongst rugged rock reefs and ancient hills. In each of these locations, their commitment to organic farming and viticulture guarantees fruit of the highest quality, imparting the clearest expression of character to every vintage.

Terrace Edge is a family owned wine brand in North Canterbury, which makes two styles of Riesling each year. This wine is the sweeter style, with 28 grams of residual sugar making it medium sweet in taste but nicely balanced by refreshing high acidity. 

It's a tasty, rich style of Riesling, hugely popular thanks to its lively fresh acidity and length of flavour. It is also certified organic.

Terrace Edge was named the New Zealand Organic Vineyard of the Year in 2018 and this year was named Aotearoa New Zealand Organic Winery of the Year.

North Canterbury is the heart and soul of New Zealand's greatest Rieslings, including this aptly named classic from Terrace Edge - it's made from grapes grown on a vineyard along the edge of the Waipara River. 

This wine is a full bodied, medium dry Riesling with ripe citrus, peach and honey flavours. It's made from hand-picked grapes and is fermented to a near-dry style while retaining richness from the residual sugar, which is balanced by Riesling's naturally  high acidity. 

This wine is certified organic. 

* Terrace Edge was named the New Zealand Organic Vineyard of the Year in 2018 and this year was named Aotearoa New Zealand Organic Winery of the Year. 

Zesty and concentrated Riesling from Carrick Winery's stunning certified organic vineyard in Bannockburn, where the elevated site produces grapes with delicious juicy intensity and lingering acidity to balance a light touch of residual sweetness from the grapes. Super concentrated aromas of grapefruit and mandarin add to the stylish, off-dry flavours in this beautifully balanced wine, which is tasty now and will evolve positively for at least another 10 years. 

This tasty dry Riesling comes from the beautiful windswept vineyard owned by Craggy Range in the sweepingly stunning Te Muna Road in Martinborough. 

The grapes in this wine were 100% whole bunch pressed and fermented in a  combination of stainless steel and large oak cuves with 100% innoculated yeasts.

The wine was matured for four months before bottling. It's fresh, youthful, vibrant and zingy with intense lime and green apple flavour notes, a medium body and long finish. It drinks beautifully now and will age superbly for at least five to six years. 

Central Otago has great potential with white wines as this dry Riesling from Amisfield Winery shows. It's one of three Rieslings produced by this well known winery and is a top seller for us here at Regional, not least because it's a totally dry style which appeals more to most wine lovers. 

Fortunately, none of the flavour is sacrificed because of its dry linear, fresh acidity and crisp style. 

This is a super refreshing dry wine made from one of the world's greatest, most under rated white grapes. Riesling. A must try for white wine lovers. 

Bright, tangy riesling in a medium-dry style with green apple, oyster shell, lime zest/citrus and quince flavours supported by mouth tingling, fruity acidity. Good purity and a lingering finish.

Green apple on the nose, with tangy fruit, citrus, peach and nectarine on the palate.  With vibrant acidity and aromatic intensity, this off-dry wine has the ability to reflect the terroir.

Mat Donaldson and his talented winemaking team create this fabulous Riesling, which is modelled on the best full bodied wines from both Germany and Austria. It is made from grapes given a long hang time on the vines and is, consistently, one of New Zealand's greatest white wines every year, thanks to winemaker Mat Donaldson and his talented team of Riesling devotees at Pegasus Bay Winery in the Waipara Valley, North Canterbury. It is succulent, medium dry, concentrated and rich in taste with a honeyed texture and and notes of lemongrass, lemon zest and ripe mandarins leading into a full bodied, weighty, off dry white with high but balanced acidity providing a long finish.

* This wine may form a natural sediment over time due to the winery's minimal handling philosophy. It has been cold stabilised by the winemaking team at Pegasus Bay.

Fromm Winery produces low alcohol wines similar to German Rieslings from the Mosel/Saar/Ruwer region. These sweet wines have an amazing balance between acid and sugar. While they have high residual sugar, they never seem cloyingly sweet, and have alcohols as low as 7-8%.

This German style Marlborough Riesling offers bright green apple, citrus and mineral notes. The texture is oily and rich, with juicy, bright acidity bringing balance.