Winemaker Notes
A fantastic aperitif. Sweet fleshed crustaceans such as prawn and crab. A wide variety of Asian-influenced cuisine.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Off-dry and packed with richness, this has a wealth of ripe peach and mango fruits. The palate has bracing acidity that lifts really weighty and concentrated fruit flesh.
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Wine Enthusiast
This Riesling, with a slight bit of bottle age on it, is radiant yellow in hue with intense aromas of honey, florals, ginger candy and pineapple billowing from the glass. The palate is off-dry, the sweetness adding an opulence and richness to the wine. A line of pristine acidity balances it nicely. It's lacking in depth of flavor and a sense of place, but is nonetheless a noble crack at a difficult style, from a winery well-known for crafting long-lived Riesling. Drink now–2030 and maybe beyond.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
At 22 grams per liter residual sugar, the medium-sweet 2015 Riesling would make a fine accompaniment to many spicy dishes. It starts off with green apple notes, then adds riper nuances of nectarines and mandarins, adds a bit of creamy texture on the mid-palate, then finishes with balanced sweetness and acidity.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
At the southern end of the North Island about an hour drive from New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington, Wairarapa’s producers are mainly small-scale, lifestyle winemakers. The region holds less than 3% of the country’s acreage under vine but nearly one tenth of its winemakers.
Considering topography, soil and climate, Wairarapa is similar to Marlborough except that it is better at producing Pinot noir. Martinborough is a main subregion.