The fruit for this Riesling was harvested with all bunches showing advanced shrivelling from botrytis and in perfect condition. All our Riesling is thinned to 2.5-3 T/acre to ensure intense flavours, and the botrytis provides a further dramatic reduction in juice yields. The final juice was at 34 brix total sugar, equivalent to the German beerenauslesen, and after fermentation yielded an exceptionally intensely flavoured wine. For me the attraction of this wine is its exceptional purity of expression - the elegance, the quintessential Riesling flavours which are not suited to some of the extraneous characters frequently found in heavily botrytised wines and which are more appropriate to other dessert wine styles. The nose speaks of apple blossom and lemon honey; the colour is a bright green-gold; the palate is notable for its intensity and elegant flavours, with a long acid finish tasting of limes, oranges and apricots. Develoment in the bottle will yield greater complexity derived from the botrytis, but young or old it should give great pleasure. Don't sully it by matching it with food - have it by itself and ponder. |
