2014 Pegasus Bay Aria Late Picked Riesling, Waipara, North Canterbury NZ

THE SEASON

A mild spring, a warm summer and an early autumn produced beautifully ripe fruit. Rain in the late autumn encouraged a portion of beautiful noble botrytis in the grapes, giving this wine extra richness and concentration while still allowing it to clearly express its spectrum of beautiful varietal flavours.

VINEYARD AND VINES

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. Aria is generally made from non-grafted vines that are 25 years or older.

HARVEST AND WINEMAKING 

2014 was a great botrytis year. The Riesling shrivelled up nicely and after picking during May, the grapes were gently pressed. 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 additional crispness and may result in a small amount of spritzig when first poured.

THE WINE

On release the wine is a bright lemon-gold. The abundant aromas and flavours suggest ripe citrus fruits, especially limes and mandarins, yellow fleshed peaches, apricots, guavas and lychees. There is an overlay of comb honey, honeysuckle and jasmine. While rich, luscious and sweet there is a seam of minerality and tangy acidity that provided perfect balance and draw out the lingering aftertaste. With careful cellaring the wine should develop a range of other fascinating nuances.