2017 Pegasus Bay Bel Canto Dry Riesling Magnum 1.5L, Waipara

Pegasus Bay boosts flavour in Bel Canto by harvesting late with some botrytis infection and allowing the wine to have a little skin contact. The result is this bold, complex wine with peach, apricot, honey, citrus and grapefruit flavours. A richly-textured riesling with a lingering finish 10 MAY 2019 Drink 2019–2023

94 points Bob Campbell MW therealreview.com

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

We hand-selected only bunches which had 30% or more of noble botrytis, during May. The juice obtained by pressing was fermented slowly over the winter at low temperatures, helping to retain its rich, fruity characters. At all stages, from fermentation to bottling, it was handled very carefully to help retain a little of its natural carbon dioxide. This provides additional crispness and may result in a small amount of spritzig when first poured

On release, it is a lemon-straw. There are plentiful aromas and flavours that are reminiscent of citrus fruits, honeydew melon, pawpaw and tropical spices. It expands on the palate to become broad shouldered, mouth filling and rich but retains a spine of sinuous acidity and minerality that help draw out a lingering hint of freshly crushed root ginger. It can be expected to develop a range of other fascinating nuances with careful cellaring.

Pegasus Bay Bel Canto Dry Riesling is one of New Zealand’s benchmark Rieslings and a defining expression of the Waipara Valley, where limestone rich soils and a cool, dry climate give Riesling remarkable purity, tension and longevity. The vineyards lie on free draining clay and limestone soils at the foothills of the Southern Alps, with warm days balanced by cool nights that preserve acidity and build intense aromatics. Bel Canto is Pegasus Bay’s flagship dry Riesling, named after the Italian term for beautiful singing, and it captures both precision and power in a distinctly regional style.

Pegasus Bay was founded by Ivan Donaldson, a neurologist turned winemaker whose scientific curiosity and deep respect for European wine traditions shaped the estate’s thoughtful approach. Today the winery is run by Ivan’s sons, Matthew and Edward Donaldson, who continue the family’s focus on meticulous vineyard management, low yields and long lived wines. Riesling has always been central to Pegasus Bay’s identity, and Bel Canto is handled with exceptional care, harvested ripe but balanced, fermented slowly and matured with time on lees to build texture without losing clarity.

In the glass the wine shows a pale straw colour with green highlights. Aromas are intense and complex, offering lime zest, lemon blossom, white peach and green apple, layered with subtle floral notes and a distinctive flinty, mineral edge. The palate is dry, concentrated and vibrant, delivering citrus and stone fruit framed by racy acidity and a long, mouthwatering finish. Despite its dryness, there is generosity and depth, making it superb with seafood, shellfish, Asian inspired dishes and fresh cheeses. It is also renowned for its ability to age, evolving beautifully over ten to twenty years as it develops honeyed, toasty and mineral complexity while retaining its core freshness.

Pegasus Bay Bel Canto Dry Riesling is a masterclass in balance and longevity, offering a wine of clarity, intensity and elegance that stands among the Southern Hemisphere’s finest Rieslings.