Waipara Hills ‘Waipara Valley’ Riesling 2017
Grape Varietal: 100% Riesling
Growing Region: Waipara Valley - New Zealand
Chief Winemaker: *Andrew Brown
4-Stars ★★★★
Waipara has developed a merited respect from those in the industry and wine enthusiasts alike for their Riesling expressions. There is still a level to go in New Zealand until Riesling is appreciated and enjoyed as other white varietals on a regular basis. This style of wine is so vibrant, approachable and affordable, and many are missing out on something uniquely special, when paired with varied fresh dishes and summer cuisine.
The Waipara Valley and in particular Waipara Hills are one of the most outstanding and consistent exponents of Riesling in New Zealand. The fruit for this wine was sourced from the Mound and Dean’s vineyards situated in the heart of the valley on the south side of the Waipara River planted in deep, free-draining gravel soils.
2017 for the region like most of the country was challenging, and produced fruit with a lifted aromatic profile and defined backbone of acidity. After a short journey and arrival into the winery, most of the fruit parcels were immediately pressed, with 10% allowed to rest and soak on skins for 12 hours to have a broader extract and flavour profile.
Fermentation was stopped when Andrew was happy with the balance of fruit acidity and residual fruit sweetness. This is when the winemaker’s palate is better than the technical numbers, as the residual sugar in this wine ended up at 18 g/L. Which sounds generous, but with the flavour profile and lifted acidity they balance well. Then after a short period of resting in tank, the wine was blended, fined and ready for bottling.
In the glass you have a pale straw colour with a lime hue. On the nose you are engaged by ripe apples, nashi pear skins and subtle white honey notes. These carry though onto the lively and generous palate, showcasing vibrant apples, satsuma mandarin, honeydew melon and a defined core of citrus, lime flavours and a mineral seam for added interest. The wine is well balanced with ripe fruit and natural acidity resulting in a lifted and refreshing finish.
This 2017 Waipara Hills ‘Waipara Valley’ Riesling has 12.5% Alc./vol. and residual sugar of 18 g/L. Chill gently and serve in an aromatic wine glass at 8-9°C.
A vibrantly generous Waipara Riesling with a balanced citrus core.
CELLARING POTENTIAL:
Drinking perfectly well this season; plus will age nicely for another 18-24 months.
FOOD PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:
Perfect wine pairing with prawns, lightly seasoned calamari, Thai spring-rolls, along with white fish marinated in lime juice and varied vegetarian cuisine - enjoy.
