2009 Whitehaven Riesling
Accolades
Silver Medal - Royal Easter Show 2011
Silver Medal - Air New Zealand Wine Awards 2009
Tasting Note
Colour / Appearance:Pale lemon straw Aroma / Bouquet:Delicate & lifted aromas of fresh lime cordial & stone fruit, with an underlying gunflint note. Palate:Powerful with clean acid definition, this Riesling has all the variety’s characteristics. The aromatics fill the mouth with lime and stone fruit flavours, with a hint of spice. The finish is dry and crisp. Cellaring:The wine is in good balance and can be enjoyed immediately. Cellaring for a year or more will allow the wine to gain honeyed bottle-age complexity and softened acidity to augment the varietal characters displayed now. Food Match:Our Riesling is in a dryer style, to be enjoyed best with food. Wonderful match with fish, scallops, crayfish and seafood in general, or any dishes containing aromatic spices. Serve:Serve lightly chilled.
Wine Analysis
Alcohol:13 %Residual Sugar:4.6 g/L Titratable Acidity:8.1 g/L pH:3.05
Viticulture
Harvest Date:9th and 17th April 2009 Climate:The ripening season was characterised by a dry Christmas period then a wet February. This was followed by a perfect late ripening period with clear, warm days and cool nights. Vine Management:Vines are trained to three or four canes on a vertical trellis, with balanced viticultural practices to ensure an open healthy canopy. Soils are clay based with river gravels underneath.
Vinification
Winemaking:Most of the fruit was selectively hand-picked and immediately whole bunch pressed. The remainder was subsequently machine harvested in cool evening conditions with minimal skin contact. Only clear free run juice was fermented at low temperature to preserve the fruit’s inherent aromatics. Winemaker:Sam Smail