Spring has yet to be sprung but if the warm breeze, blue skies and gentle sunshine are any indication today, it's coming soon. As are the late winter frosts. They always seem to hit at exactly the same time as the tenderest of spring buds begin to appear on the vine, on fruit trees and in the fields where lambs begin to gambol after long, hard, cold nights.
This week has marked the start of tasting for an Aromatic Wine Report that is published annually in Drinksbiz magazine, which I am the wine writer for. Without giving it all away, this week's trio of aromatic wines hit several high notes. Firstly, they are all drier in taste and in residual sugar than Riesling has tended to be, traditionally speaking, in Aotearoa. The wines in the early modern days of New Zealand Riesling were often characterised by delicious layers of concentrated, intense flavours of apricot botrytis, succulent lemon zest, green ginger and candied peach. The best tended to come from the South Island, particularly North Canterbury, which remains a stellar region for high quality Riesling, as the 2014 Pegasus Bay Bel Canto Dry Riesling showed this year when it was awarded best wine at the Judgement of London. Cool climates throughout the South Island suit Riesling well, as does the south of the North Island; the Wairarapa.
There have always been excellent Rieslings produced throughout New Zealand because the climate in this country is incredibly well suited to cool climate grape varieties, but I often felt that balance was elusive due to wines containing more residual sugar than their acidity could necessarily carry. As climate changes, so too does Riesling in New Zealand, which has been steadily becoming drier as a trend at the same time that its produced has declined from 784 hectares of land producing grapes in 2014 to 595 in 2023.
There are many reasons for this decline, not least the fact that precious vineyard land is needed for wines that sell more easily, such as Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris. Despite this, the quality of the best Rieslings in this country continues to rise, showing great balance in the bottle and glass from the time they are released until 10 years+ later. Here are three that prove the point and will, in my view, age superbly.
Three top whites
18.5/20
2024 Urlar Dry Riesling RRP $30
This wine is a youthful tight young thing with layers of flavour that unfold depths and complex layers after a day of being open; spice and citrusy lime flavours with a medium body and beautiful balance with 1.7 grams of residual sugar, which makes it bone dry. It's a beautiful wine from a beautiful vintage.
Winemaker Jannine Rickards built in layers of texture by using wild yeast fermentation for 19% of the wine (10% on skins for seven days and 9% in old oak barrels) with the remaining portion in stainless steel to retain freshness.
From specialist stores or direct from www.urlar.co.nz
19.5/20
2023 Pegasus Bay Riesling RRP $30
Another outstanding Riesling from the maestros of the style; the Pegasus Bay winemaking team, which has benefited from the thoughtful winemaking of the Donaldson family and head winemaker Mat Donaldson.
This wine is a beautiful expression of North Canterbury's historic excellence with Riesling and this vintage is the driest I have tasted yet with 21 grams residual sugar, which makes it medium sweet but that zesty purity of acidity brings a dry twist to every succulent sip.
Depth of flavour comes from long hang time on the vines for the Riesling grapes, which adds a portion of botrytis for lusciousness, balanced beautifully by excellent freshness and a light touch of spritzyness supporting tropical fruit flavours; limoncello like flavours, mango, pineapple and a hint of peach.
Widely available from specialist wines stores, excellent supermarket wine shelves or direct from www.pegasusbay.com
18.5/20
2024 Palliser Estate Riesling
RRP $29.99
Here is another example of a great New Zealand Riesling from an outstanding vintage, 2024, which is dry in style with RS 5.2 grams per litre. Winemaker Guy McMaster used 42% of grapes from Palliser Estate's certified organic vineyard, Om Santi, with the balance coming from the Pinnacles and Woolshed vineyards. All were fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel to preserve the bright fruit aromas and freshness innate to Riesling. Love the bright, bold citrus purity and frshessness.
This wine is a youngster and will also reward a decade of ageing to see it at its most complex, citrusy best.
Available from specialist wine stores or direct from www.palliser.co.nz
Buy at least two bottles of each of these wines; one for now and one for later.
