"Aromatic Riesling with lime, floral/rose and a subtle toasty influence from yeast lees. Silken-textured wine with nice weight and a perfect balance of subtle sweetness and gentle acidity so that both are barely perceptible" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine

The Winemaker of this mystery wine calls this wine his 'Classic Kiwi' style Riesling due to it being a delicate dry/medium wine made in a deliciously juicy fruit style. It has a very pure, citrus/lime and subtle stonefruit flavours, together with that Wairau river valley terroir “wet stone” minerality. Intense, concentrated and harmonious with that perfect balance of ripe fruit sweetness, fresh acidity, “tart” drying minerality and long long finish.

The 2013 vintage was similar to that of the 2011 vintage, with a mild temperate summer with regular small amounts of rain which resulted in healthy vines with active green leaves through to a slightly (5-7 days) earlier harvest. Unlike 2011, however, crop levels were moderate, coming in exactly on estimate 6-10 tonne/ha, depending on varietal. This was due to the relatively low per vine bunch number, determined by a cool December in the previous season which counterbalanced the higher berry number per bunch and individual berry size due to ideal growth conditions. So, overall a very good quality vintage, viticulturally straight forward, with ideal conditions, weather wise over the 3 week harvest period. Good drinking from release but better many tomorrows hence.

This mystery Riesling was grown on three distinctly different sites within the Wairau River Valley. Two sites within the valley are geologically young soils predominantly made up of recently deposited Wairau river stone, gravel and silt – Riesling grown there has a delicious citrus (lemon and lime) flavour profile fine acidity, low pH and most interestingly an amazing minerality, almost salty, what I call “wet stone” character. – almost salty in character. The third site is in the southern Brancott Valley on geologically older soil of crushed rock mixed with a portion of clay, still very free draining in nature, devigorating and ideal for premium grape growing. The Riesling grown there has a much more exotic fruit flavour profile – stone fruit (apricot), citrus (mandarin) and spice (cinnamon) and a distinctive “biscuity” minerality.