Clark Estate Classic Marlborough Riesling 2019

Description

Apple, Dry, Spice

"Bright, youthful and very fragrant with a lifted enticing scent package of lemon and lime, white flowers, crisp red apple, wet stone minerality and a touch of elderflower. Very youthful on the palate with a salivating crisp texture, flavours of green apple and pear, lemon and lime flower then mineral. The tautness and acid line mean this wine will continue to develop over the next 3-5 years offering a longer term drinking opportunity. Well made and quite lengthy with best drinking from 2024 through 2034+" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier

"It's delicately lifted on the nose showing crunchy apple, lemon/lime zest, white floral and subtle spice notes, followed by a finely focused palate that's linear and lingering. Crisp-dry and elegant. At its best: now to 2029" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

"Bright, pale straw-yellow, even colour throughout. The nose is welcoming and vibrant with aromas of lime cordial, apple melded with white floral and a hint of honey. Medium-bodied, apple, lime and citrus zest have a taut core, and a touch of minerals carry a saline edge with acid tension to a focused, flavoursome, crisp finish. The fruit has concentration, and zesty grapefruit adds depth, and acid tension and saline drive a moreish and salivating finish. This is appetizing Reisling with a citrus backbone, minerals and saline. Match with poached yabbies and clams over the next 5 years" Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews

The 2019 Classic Riesling has a beautiful classic aroma of white blossom, citrus and cut apple. The palate is full and structured thanks to the chalky minerality. There is a sense of the flavours lingering for longer than expected making this Riesling immensely enjoyable and distinctive.

This Classic Riesling style is a beautiful example of the Riesling grape. Grown on a gentle south facing slope of the upper Awatere valley, the vines are less exposed and the fruit is left to ripen slowly to develop lovely aromatic flavours reminiscent of the classic Rieslings made around the world. The single-vineyard Classic Riesling is lively with wonderful aromatics and a mineral edge thanks to the chalky texture, showing how well the Upper Awatere soils can grow great Riesling.

The 2019 season started warm and dry but turned to finish cool, giving the vines time to ripen the fruit to perfect balance. Crisp, flavoursome berries were harvested in the cool of the night to retain the refreshing acidity and finesse before heading to the winery.

The fruit was processed as quickly as possible to preserve the distinctive varietal flavours and fermented long and slow. Once the right balance was achieved, the ferment was stopped and the wine was left on the yeast lees to help it develop a lovely structure and extra palate weight.