Friday, September 24, 2010

2008 Pegasus Bay Bel Canto Riesling

Wow, what a fascinating wine from a fascinating winery.

Based in Waipara, NZ, 30 minutes north of Christchurch, Pegasus Bay has always been a winery that pushes the envelope whilst being completely respectful to it's terroir. I've always admired the Donaldson's liberating and passionate individualism.

A wine created from late harvested, partially botrytic fruit that's been fermented to dryness. Some of the juice was left unclarified before being fermented by indigenous yeasts and matured in old barrels.

It's a pretty rich Riesling that opens with peach, Turkish delight, mandarin and lime on the nose. The pallet is an fantastic interplay of  stone fruit, passionfriut and heady, musky notes. The acid structure may well be the highlight of this wine - incredibly precise and focused. The wine finishes, fiercely dry with incredibly clarity.

97 Points


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