2023 Domain Road Water Race Dry Riesling, Central Otago

Domain Road Water Race Dry Riesling is a brilliant and distinctive expression of Central Otago, a region more famous for Pinot Noir but capable of producing some of New Zealand’s most thrilling Riesling. The Water Race vineyard sits in Bannockburn, one of Otago’s warmest and most mineral rich subregions, where schist soils, intense sunlight and cold nights create wines of purity, tension and striking aromatics.

Domain Road is a small, quality focused producer led by winemaker Steve Davies, whose approach is all about site expression and balance. The Water Race Riesling is picked for natural acidity and clarity rather than sweetness, giving a dry, tightly wound style that shows the vineyard rather than overt winemaking.

In the glass, the wine shows lime zest, green apple and white flowers, with a distinctive crushed rock, saline edge that reflects the schist beneath the vines. The palate is crisp and precise, driven by racy acidity and a long, chalky, mouthwatering finish. There is plenty of flavour, but it is carried by energy and finesse rather than weight.

This is a superb food wine. Fresh oysters, sashimi, grilled fish, Thai and Vietnamese dishes or goat’s cheese all work beautifully with its bright acidity and mineral drive.

Domain Road Water Race Dry Riesling is delicious in its youth for its vibrancy, but it will also age gracefully for eight to twelve years, developing honeyed and toasty complexity while retaining its core of citrus and mineral freshness. It is a superb example of what Central Otago can achieve with Riesling when site and restraint come together.