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Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
2016 Riesling ‘Aged Release’, Pegasus Bay

2016 Riesling ‘Aged Release’, Pegasus Bay

North Canterbury, New Zealand

Golden Tension

Dried apricot, marmalade and preserved lemon rise from the glass, followed by jasmine, white tea, beeswax and crystallised ginger. A decade of maturation has brought wonderful aromatic complexity, yet the fruit remains vivid and beautifully defined.

Medium-dry and richly textured, with mature citrus, honey and stone fruit held in focus by bright, tensile acidity. Fine phenolics add shape, while a delicate natural spritz lifts the palate and carries the wine towards a long, gently spicy finish that feels remarkably dry. Mature Riesling at its most compelling, complex and energetic rather than simply old.

For when: You want to discover what great Riesling becomes with time.

Pairs with: Chicken satay, pork katsu, Thai red curry, glazed pork belly, roast duck or aged Comté.

This is Pegasus Bay’s original 2016 Riesling, deliberately retained in the estate’s cellar and released after extended bottle maturation. It offers the rare opportunity to buy beautifully evolved Riesling directly from the producer, with impeccable provenance and none of the uncertainty that can accompany older bottles.

Decanter has described Pegasus Bay as one of the few New Zealand producers deeply committed to Riesling, with a distinctive, rich style shaped over decades by the Donaldson family.

Whats in the bottle
100% Riesling

Notable Awards
95 points, Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

£32.50 - £32.50
£32.50
£32.50 - £32.50
£32.50
Availability:
12 in stock, ready to be shipped

Pegasus Bay is one of the pioneering names of New Zealand wine. Its story began in 1976, when neurologist and wine enthusiast Ivan Donaldson planted one of Canterbury’s first vineyards. He and his wife Christine established Pegasus Bay in 1986, laying the foundations for a family estate that would help define the reputation of North Canterbury.

The home vineyard occupies sheltered, north-facing terraces in the Waipara Valley. The Teviotdale Range provides protection from cool Pacific winds, while free-draining Glasnevin Gravels, formed from silt, loam and greywacke washed down from the Southern Alps, encourage deep roots and naturally controlled vigour. Warm days and notably cool nights allow the grapes to ripen slowly while retaining fragrance and acidity.

Pegasus Bay remains a true family business, with the Donaldsons involved across the vineyards, winery and wider estate. Riesling and Pinot Noir have become particular signatures, consistently showing concentration, regional character and an ability to mature gracefully. Small quantities of selected wines are retained for later release, allowing customers to experience them at a fascinating stage of development with the reassurance of perfect storage and direct provenance.

Made from Riesling grown in Pegasus Bay’s estate vineyard in the Waipara Valley. The mature vines occupy low-fertility, free-draining terraces, with a substantial proportion growing on their own roots. Fruit thinning was used during the generous 2016 season to control yields and encourage concentration.

The grapes were left to hang until fully physiologically ripe, with a small proportion developing noble botrytis where conditions allowed. Following harvest, the free-run juice was fermented slowly at cool temperatures to preserve its aromatic detail. Careful handling retained some naturally produced carbon dioxide, giving the finished wine a delicate spritz.

The warm, dry 2016 autumn allowed the fruit to reach excellent flavour maturity while maintaining fresh acidity. Bottled in an off-dry style, the wine was then retained under controlled conditions in the Pegasus Bay cellar before being released at approximately ten years of age.

Grape
Riesling

Vintage
2016

Country
New Zealand

Size
750ml

Types
White Wine

Producer
Pegasus bay

Region
North Canterbury