Winemaker Notes
On release the color is lemon-straw. The bouquet is a zesty fusion of quince, citrus blossom, lemon meringue and green apple, cloaked in a spicy mineral underlay. In the mouth the experience is also multi-layered, displaying both richness and precision, texture and poise. Charming sweetness is backed by refreshing acidity and a hint of spritzig that creates a vibrant tension, ensuring the wine remains perfectly balanced with a fresh and lively finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Sliced apple and apricot aromas with some peach pit and hot stone. Full-bodied with a creamy texture and lots of ripe, sweet fruit. It sweet and rich on the finish.
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Vinous
Both orange and lime marmalade abound in the zesty, off-dry 2019 Riesling. A light CO2 spritz on the entry makes for a lively start. There's also a flinty, reductive note and a subtle celery character. Satisfying weight and depth are accompanied by roundness from the residual sugar (28g/L) while the fine acidity and textural phenolics provide a sense of structure and firmness on the medium-length finish.
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.