Greystone Waipara Riesling 2019

Description

Apple, Floral, Medium-dry

Fresh crisp acidity, with layered fruit flavours. Long, poised finish. The acidity is balanced perfectly with a medium sweetness. Drinking beautifully now or cellar up to fifteen years.

The season started cooler and wetter than average and flowering was impacted with smaller bunches of fewer berries, but greater intensity. Early shoot thinning put crop levels spot on, meaning no late thinning was required and the vines focused on ripening just what was left on the vine. A warm, gentle autumn meant fruit ripened evenly. Fruit was hand harvested in the cool of the early morning to retain freshness and acidity. This fruit comes from two clay blocks, one ungrafted, that provide great concentration.

We hand picked and whole bunch pressed each block separately before vinifying as Individual lots. Fermentations were long and quite cool between 14 and 16 degrees. Judiciously selected noble Botrytis bunches were Included at between 5 and 10% of the overall fruit selection. Lots were blended together after five months on yeast lees, before estate bottling without fining.