$45 per bottle
Out of stock
Download Tasting NotesThe Waipara Valley is the spiritual home of Riesling in New Zealand. It’s not surprising then that it’s attracted some of the most eccentric, passionate, obsessed Riesling freaks on the planet. We fill our cellars and glasses with the avant-garde of the old world including Heymann Lӧwenstein, Clemens Busch, FX Pichler and Franz Hertzberger.
We’re not interested in necessarily fitting neatly inside your ‘Riesling box’, and we don’t understand the new world obsession with dryness at any cost. Instead we’re on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land of balance, texture and the expression of the vineyard.
TASTING NOTES
VINTAGE
The growing season of 2012 had a cool start in the spring and this weather pattern continued throughout the summer. One of those summers that does not appease humans but certainly does those grape varieties which excel in cool climates such as Riesling. The cooler weather meant hang time was longer, increasing flavour development and retention of the natural acidity, essential for Riesling. Later in the season, it rained a couple of times which allowed botrytis infection. Nor‘west winds followed, drying out the botrytis, producing about 10-15% dry noble berries. This form of botrytis adds an extra dimension of complexity and ripeness to the resulting wine.
VINEYARD
The grapes for this wine were sourced from the Mound Vineyard; one of Waipara Valley’s excellent vineyards situated on the free draining gravel terraces. This was once a glacier bed and the Waipara River has since carved north facing terraces as it has descended 60-80meters below. Riesling loves free draining gravel soils, as evident when it grows on the schist, free draining slopes of the Mosel, which produces some of the best Rieslings in the world. The Mound consistently produces Riesling grapes with intense flavour, refreshing acidity with some noble infection, ideally suited to the style of the Tongue in Groove Riesling.
WINEMAKING
The grapes were put directly into the press and left to sit for 2-3 hours, (skin contact) which extract flavour and phenolics, giving intensity and length to the palate. The grapes were gently pressed and hard pressings separated. The murky juice was pumped into a tank to allow settling. The juice was allowed to sit on the juice lees for about 5-6 days (a mild form of skin contact). The juice was then racked (siphon clear juice off the lees) into a clean stainless tank for fermentation. A small amount of the juice lees was added back as this produces more complex wines. A cool fermentation; 17-18 degrees maximum proceeded. The fermentation followed a classic, healthy fermentation curve and slowly petered out leaving very low levels of natural residual sugar, giving balance to the fresh acid and firm phenolics. After the wine finished fermentation it was filtered for bottling, without extended lees contact, as this can distract from the purity of fruit flavours.
TASTING NOTES
This is a riper expression of Riesling with some noble botrytis adding complexity, made into a drier style. Skin contact has increased flavour and extended the palate length which balances the low levels of RS. This Riesling exhibits pungent aromas of honey, orange blossom, lime zest, white pepper and the typical mandarin spray often found in Riesling from the Waipara Valley. The palate is rich and opulent with great extract and has a long, intense finish. The later harvesting of the grapes and skin contact have resulted in ripe phenolics which balance the fruit concentration and the refreshing limey acidity gives this wine a dry finish.
This wine is ideally served slightly warmer than normal; 13-15 degrees as it allows the richness of this wine to truly express itself, better aroma, flavour and balance.
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