Pegasus Bay Waipara Valley Riesling 2025

Description

Apple, Floral, Medium-dry

"Classy stuff. Estate-grown at Waipara, in top vintages it is richly fragrant and intense, with flavours of citrus fruits and honey, complex and luscious. … The youthful, bright, light lemon/green 2025 vintage is mouthfilling and vibrantly fruity, with a strong surge of ripe, peachy and citrusy flavours, a slightly honeyed richness, gentle sweetness and a crisp, tightly structured finish. Full of personality, it should mature gracefully for many years" Michael Cooper, Mar 2026

"It's beautifully scented on the nose with aromas of grilled pineapple, Gala apple, orange peel, fennel, and rich floral. The palate displays excellent weight and richly textured mouthfeel, complemented by elegant sweetness and vibrant acidity, making it superbly harmonious and lingering" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Feb 2026

"Bright, even, pale yellow with a light green hue. Lightly spritzy. The nose is gently full, with aromas of apple, citrus, sweet blossoms and honey. Medium-full bodied, medium dry to taste, expressive aromas of apple and mandarin entwined with elderflower, zest, honey and fresh ginger. The wine is detailed and layered with primary fruit, zesty spice and well-balanced sweetness. Salivating acidity provides effortless balance and flow, injecting youth and energy, lending a moreish, fragranced finish. Harmoniously aromatic and well-balanced" Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, Mar 2026

"Flinty, smoky characters lead, teasing out individual characters seems superfluous as this is all about the whole. Fresh acidity contrasts the richness and mouth-filling qualities, grapefruit, acid drops, honeyed notes with a little freshening spritz. Honey and tropical fruit notes emerge on the nose, lovely tension. Drinking superbly but history tells us this will age with grace" Mark Henderson, Otago Daily Times, Mar 2026

Shimmering pale gold, the nose is full, with lush aromas of citrus blossom, elderflower and green apple, meshed with flecks of quince, kumquat, lime sherbet, and faint mineral undertones. Equally vibrant on the palate, the opulent mouthfeel is packed with bright flavours and youthful energy. Unobtrusive sweetness is balanced by invigorating acidity, adding precision and a delightful tension on the long, moreish close.

The vineyard is located within the Waipara Valley of North Canterbury, on free draining, north facing terraces. It benefits from being in the lee of the Teviotdale Range, giving maximum protection from the Pacific’s easterly breezes and thus creating a unique mesoclimate. The vines are close to 40 years old, with a large proportion planted on their own roots. They are located on the “Glasnevin Gravels” where greywacke stones, silt and loam have been washed down from the mountains over the millennia. The soil is of low fertility, resulting in naturally reduced vine vigour. This produces low yields of optimally ripened, high quality, flavourful grapes, which fully express the qualities of this unique terroir. The vineyard has warm days, but the nights are amongst the coolest in the Waipara Valley, drawing out the ripening period of the grapes, while still retaining good natural acidity.

Settled and very hot weather over flowering delivered a bumper fruit set that necessitated
considerable crop thinning. A wet and tepid January was followed by variable weather
and a cooler than average autumn. Careful management around pick dates and rigorous
bunch selection were essential to ensure fruit arriving at the winery was of the highest
quality possible. Although sugar ripeness was retarded, physiological ripeness of the
fruit was more advanced, favouring delicately nuanced and charming wine styles.

With its large diurnal range and long lingering autumns, North Canterbury is an ideal
playground for riesling, making it possible to create concentrated wines that still
possess favourable acidity and finesse. Our house style involves giving the grapes an
extended “hang time” and picking (when possible) with a portion of noble botrytis,
to enable our site to express itself harmoniously through this variety. Following
harvest, the free run juice was fermented slowly at cool temperatures to help the
wine express the unique characters of our region. At all stages, the wine was handled
very carefully to help retain a little of its natural carbon dioxide. This has resulted in
a small amount of spritzig, which adds extra liveliness to the wine.