Off-dry and simply delicious! Our pick for serious Riesling connoisseurs. The fruit character of the Southern Valleys is balanced by the minerality of the river gravels, all wrapped up in a dry, crisp acidity. 10+ years of aging potential if you have the self-control but drinking exceptionally well now.

Vinification
The grapes were machine harvested in the cool of the morning, cold settled and cool fermented in stainless steel tanks before blending and finishing for bottling in spring.

Analysis at bottling

pH 3.09 | T.A. 7.35 g/l | RS 4.5 g/l | Alcohol 12.5%

Dry Riesling is one of Domaine Rewa's specialities and highlights the lively, succulent flavours of lime zest, lemon notes and white floral aromas that make Riesling one of the world's great white grape varieties. 

This refreshing wine also highlights the greatness of Central Otago as a great Riesling region. 

Full bodied, complex, dry as a bone made in a delicious modern, lively style of French Riesling with refreshing lime and green apple aromas supported by bright acidity and a waxy texture. This wine is made with grapes grown an 25 year old vines on a vineyard originally planted in the 17th Century at Rouffach in Alsace. This most eastern wine region in France was once part of Germany, hence Riesling is one of the key wines made here, and the Mure family have retained ownership of their vineyard and brand for 12 generations now. 

One of the greatest Rieslings from a special vineyard site. We receive a small allocation of this exceptionally beautifully balanced medium dry Riesling. It's made from one of Germany's great Rieslings from a hallowed vineyard site that has been revered for centuries for its ability to ripen this great white grape to a peachy flavour spectrum while retaining fresh lime zest aromas and crisp balancing acidity for a long finish. 

What the critics say...

Lively and subtle nose of ripe yellow apple, white peach and wild flowers. Juicy and elegant with a vibrant acidity
that lights this up beautifully. A touch of perceptible grape sweetness at the front of the medium-bodied palate, but
the long, wet stone finish is admirably dry. Spot on balance. Drink or hold.
JamesSuckling.com

This wine is a labour of love and was made from hand picked grapes grown on the organically certified Ashmore Vineyard in Fairhall, Marlborough. A combination of spontaneous yeast and inoculated ferments (50/50) were taken to 12.5% ABV and residual sugar of 19.5 grams per litre, which makes this wine medium dry in style. It tastes like lemon zest and fresh ripe Granny Smith apples on speed… a gorgeous refreshing, full bodied Marlborough white wine made from one of the greatest grapes on Earth. 

A must try. 

A razor-sharp Riesling that keeps its cards close to its chest. Flint and citrus peel edge around a core of dry, chiselled fruit, while subtle spice lingers in the background. Brisk acidity slices through, creating a taut, electric structure. Beneath it all, the first whispers of smoky sweetness and mellow honey hint at what’s to come. It wraps up with a firm, grippy finish that leaves a lasting impression.

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.

From the winery...

Our Mackenzie William Riesling is named after our eldest grandson. Our Eden Valley Riesling is delicately picked from our longstanding vines planted in the 1960s, and 1980s, and from our cherished, deep-rooted 1890s vines – believed to be some of the oldest in Australia. Each batch of fruit bestows its unique attributes, creating quintessential Eden Valley citrus and minerally characteristics which our region is so well known for, and a complexity that ensures our dry style’s impressive length of finish.

When Erni Loosen rediscovered the remarkable quality and longevity of his ancestors' dry Rieslings, he set about reviving the culture and techniques of his family heritage. The GG Réserve wines are selectively harvested from the best parcels of very old, ungrafted vines in Grand Cru vineyards. They are fermented naturally, like traditional GG Rieslings, but mature for 24 months without filtration or fining on the lees in traditional oak casks. This is followed by a further 48 months of bottle aging before release. This extended maturation period lends the wines an additional dimension of finesse and balance, perfectly expressing the unique terroir of each individual vineyard.

Tasting Notes
Nectarine stone, honey dew and lemon zest on the nose lead to a rich creamy texture, finishing with freshness and poise. A fantastic aperitif style that is also well matched with richer dishes of cheese, pork, charcuterie, seafood and poultry.
About the Wine
Grown at Red Bank Vineyard, Alexandra and featuring the Proprietor’s Grandfather, Sydney Neill Wine Merchant, on the label, Picnic Riesling is our perennial favourite and a wonderful introduction to the pleasure of Central Otago Riesling. We think it is just as much a dinner wine as a luncheon – equally enjoyable at home outdoors, as at the Captain’s Table. Hand harvested and crafted in to a delicious refreshing off-dry style appealing to just about everyone on the planet.

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 - Soils are schist based gravelly loams. Own roots – cane cuttings from Felton Road. Single cane, one bunch per shoot and very close planted at 5500 vines per hectare. Both shoot and lateral thinned to reduce crop load. Leaves that expose the grapes when ripening are also plucked off to increase sunlight exposure in to the vine canopy. Hand harvested.

WINE MAKERS NOTES - Hand harvested on the 17th April 2023 at 21 Brix and whole bunch pressed, meaning that the press was loaded with the grapes as intact bunches, versus removing the stems first. This pressed juice was then steeped on those skins (in wine language we call that ‘skin contact’) for 14 hours to extract aromatics and flavour and then it was inoculated with yeast and fermented to ‘just off-dry’ wine. We then left the wine sitting in tank on its lees (spent yeast cells that boost body and complexity) for three months before bottling. Please note the International Riesling scale on the back label.

Abbazia di Novacella 'Praepositus' Riesling is a dry, white, semi-aromatic wine from Italy's Trentino Alto Adige region. It is a straw yellow colour with golden highlights, and aromas of pineapple, peach, yellow pulp fruit, honey and flint. The palate is linear, racy and savoury, with strong minerality.

The grapes for this wine come from the Conca di Bressanone in the province of Bolzano, at altitudes between 650 and 750 meters above sea level. The wine is vinified and aged in stainless steel, and is a regular winner of the Tre Bicchieri award.

The Abbazia di Novacella wine estate dates back to 1142, and has been an important cultural and spiritual center since medieval times

This sweet wine combines two of our favourite things; Riesling at its most concentrated and great acidity, which keeps it fresh, devoid of any cloying flavours. 

Late harvest Riesling is made from grapes left to hang longer than usual on the vines, providing depth of flavour and richness without an unctuous, mouth filling style. 

Serve chilled with aged cheese; cheddar or parmigiana or grana padano.  An outstanding wine.