Pegasus Bay Bel Canto Waipara Valley Dry Riesling 2022

Pegasus Bay Bel Canto Waipara Valley Dry Riesling 2022Dry style Apricot Fruit spice Silky mouthfeel "Gorgeously rich yet with structure and harmony, the wine shows grilled stone fruit, grapefruit, orange peel and warm spice aromas, leading to a wonderfully flavoursome palate offering terrific weight and depth. It's richly textured with beautifully pitched acidity, finishing expansive and persistent" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Dec 2023 "The Bel Canto style is immediately reflected in this new release example,

• Dry style
• Apricot
• Fruit spice
• Silky mouthfeel

"Gorgeously rich yet with structure and harmony, the wine shows grilled stone fruit, grapefruit, orange peel and warm spice aromas, leading to a wonderfully flavoursome palate offering terrific weight and depth. It's richly textured with beautifully pitched acidity, finishing expansive and persistent" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Dec 2023

"The Bel Canto style is immediately reflected in this new release example, showcasing a slick and vibrant bouquet of lemon rind and apple, a mix of marmalade and honeysuckle, mineral and fruit spice. On the palate all these flavours ideas explode throughout carried throughout the palate with a back bone of acidity and fine silky mouthfeel thereafter. Youthful and taut, a wine that will surely age well if cellared properly. Lengthy, fresh and ready to drink from today if you like, best from 2026 through 2035+" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Aug 2023

"Bright, pale yellow, even colour throughout. The nose is full and complex, with aromas of gunflint over laying citrus, orchard fruit and crunchy minerals. Medium-full bodied, aromas of lime, green apple and mandarine form a taut core, unfolding beeswax, crushed rocks and smoky gunflint. Acid tension carries apple-skin-like phenolics and citrus zest along a light waxy mouthfeel. This Dry Riesling shows focus and linearity, accompanied by complex flavours and a textural mouthfeel" Candice Chow, Raymon Chan Reviews, Aug 2023

Upon release it has a pale gold hue. Tantalising aromas of flint and citrus blossom erupt from the glass, spliced with undertones of apricot, kaffir lime leaf and kumquat, swathed in a quartzy minerality. The palate is fresh and lively, a rich mouthfeel backed by invigorating acidity that creates a pleasing tension. Structured yet oozing with finesse, it delivers a long, focused finish.

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 over 30 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.

Average weather over flowering resulted in a balanced crop, meaning no further fruit thinning was carried out. This was followed by a cooler than average summer which delayed ripening. Fortunately, a warm dry autumn allowed the grapes to be left on the vines till later in the season, where they were able to achieve the desired level of ripeness.

With its large diurnal range and long lingering autumns, North Canterbury is an ideal playground for Riesling, and Bel Canto is a perfect example of this. This wine is part of our reserve series, which we only make in exceptional years that are favourable for the development of noble botrytis. After an extended hang time, the bunches were hand selected with a portion of botrytis and a ripeness of approximately 25.5 Brix. The free run juice was then fermented slowly at cool temperatures to help the wine retain its vibrant fruit characters and varietal purity. Alcoholic fermentation was left to continue until dryness was achieved. 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 and accentuates its freshness.

The Donaldson Family have been seriously involved in viticulture and winemaking for over 40 years. Founder Ivan Donaldson planted the first Canterbury vineyard in 1976 and went on to establish Pegasus Bay in 1986 with his wife Christine. It is a true family business, with all four of their sons involved.