2018 Whitehaven Marlborough Riesling
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TASTING NOTE
Colour / Appearance: Light straw with a green hue and bright clarity.
Aroma / Bouquet: Freshly cut limes, lemon pith, delicate florals and juniper.
Palate: A light-bodied wine, with a racy acidity and bright lime flavours. Some residual sugar balances this firm acidity and aids the long, clean finish.
Cellaring: We believe after cellaring for a year or more this Riesling will gain some bottle-age complexity to augment the varietal characters the wine exhibits now. However, the wine is already in good balance, and can be enjoyed immediately.
Food Match: Superbly paired with Asian cuisine and crisp green salads. This wine is excellent to whet the appetite before a meal.
Serve: Lightly chilled.
WINE ANALYSIS
Alcohol: 11.5%
Residual Sugar: 10.7 g/L
Titratable Acidity: 6.2 g/L
pH: 3.21
VITICULTURE
Harvest dates: 28th and 31st March 2018
Grape Growing: The vines were pruned to 2 canes, with vertical shoot positioning. Balanced pruning, shoot thinning, wire lifting, and trimming ensured favourable canopy conditions. The budburst timing was slightly later than normal and the vines experienced typical spring like conditions of variable temperatures, winds and rain. Early varieties, such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, flowered in cooler conditions leading to smaller yields. Other varieties had warm, dry conditions over flowering, resulting in healthy crop levels. In mid-December, the weather became warm and dry. January was notable for strong winds that parched the landscape. The later part of the season recorded lower sunshine hours, resulting in delayed sugar ripeness and a later start to harvest.
VINIFICATION
Winemaking: The fruit was hand-picked and whole bunch pressed. A press cut was made to minimise harsh phenolic compounds in the wine. After settling and clarification, the juice was fermented at very low temperature with a select yeast strain to retain the fruit’s intense varietal flavours. The ferment was stopped with some residual sugar to balance the high acidity.
Winemakers: Sam Smail and Diana Katardzhieva
ACCOLADES
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2019 NZ Wine of the Year: Gold
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"It’s pristine and inviting on the nose showing nectarine, crunchy apple, lemon/lime peel and white floral aromas. The palate delivers excellent concentration and focus combined with flowing mouthfeel and subtle sweetness, brilliantly balanced by refreshing acidity, finishing long and delightfully attractive. Style: Off-dry. At its best: now to 2028." Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, 5 stars
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"Balanced and well made, ready to enjoy today" Cameron Douglas, 90/100 Points
- "The 2018 vintage (4*) is a highly aromatic, very finely balanced wine, with lots of youthful impact." Michael Cooper, 4 Stars
