2014 Whitehaven Riesling
Accolades
Silver Medal - Spiegelau International Wine Competition
Silver Medal - Royal Easter Show 2015
Silver Medal - Marlborough Wine Show 2014
Tasting Note
Colour / Appearance:Pale straw with a green hue. Aroma / Bouquet:An abundance of lemon/lime fruit flavours with violet and wet stone mineral notes. Palate:A medium bodied wine with vibrant citrus and floral flavours. The finish has a lingering clean acid finish. Cellaring:The wine is in good balance and ready to enjoy. If cellared for a year or more the wine will gain some bottle-age complexity to augment the distinctive zesty varietal characters exhibited now. Food Match:Ideally suited to Asian cuisine, crisp green salads, and fusion foods. This wine is excellent to whet the appetite before a meal, or to cleanse the palate afterwards. Serve:Lightly chilled.
Wine Analysis
Alcohol:11%Residual Sugar:14 g/L Titratable Acidity:6.4 g/L pH:3.03
Viticulture
Harvest Date:8th & 15th April 2014 Climate:The season started with an early bud burst due to the warm winter. A warm, dry spring and early summer resulted in ideal growing conditions and healthy yields. Mid-season rain spells also aided plant growth and canopy vigour. Some cooler weather over January was followed by a warm, dry ripening period. Vine Management:The vines were pruned to 2 canes, with vertical shoot positioning. Balanced pruning, shoot thinning, wire lifting, and trimming ensured favourable canopy conditions.
Vinification
Winemaking:The fruit was hand-picked in cool morning conditions. At the winery the grapes were sorted, de-stemmed and lightly pressed immediately. After settling and clarification the juice was fermented at a very low temperature with a select yeast strain to retain intense varietal flavours. The ferment was stopped to allow some residual sugar to balance the naturally high acidity. Winemaker:Sam Smail and Rowan Langdon.