PEGASUS BAY ARIA LATE PICKED RIESLING 2023

Winery notes (2023 Vintage)
"Upon release it has an alluring golden hue. Perfumed and zesty, the bouquet is a sumptuous banquet of floral and citrus fragrances. Lime blossom, star jasmine and rose petal, interplay teasingly with wisps of quince, granny smith, candied orange peel and lemonade. A feisty seam of acidity dashes across the palate, ensuring the rich and opulent mouthfeel remains focused and precise. The wine’s impressive structure is emboldened further by a touch of phenolic tartness that acts to balance its charming sweetness, giving rise to a long and succulent close.

Aria is part of Pegasus Bay’s reserve series and is the sister wine to our Bel Canto dry riesling. Both are only made in exceptional years that are favourable for the development of noble botrytis. After an extended hang time, the bunches were hand selected with a portion of between 30-50% botrytis and a ripeness of approximately 28 Brix. The grapes were then gently pressed, and the juice fermented slowly at cool temperatures to help the wine retain its vibrant fruit characters and varietal purity. At all stages, from fermentation to bottling, it was handled very carefully to help retain a little of its naturally dissolved carbon dioxide. This has resulted in a small amount of spritzig, which adds extra liveliness to the wine and accentuates its freshness."

5 Stars & 96/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, March 2024 (2023 Vintage)
"Gorgeously fragrant and enticing, the bouquet shows marmalade, clove, star anise and honey notes, followed by a splendidly expressed palate offering delightful sweetness with creamy texture and bright acidity. Superbly harmonious and balanced, making it hugely appealing. At its best: now to 2038."

5 Stars & 95/100 Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review, May 2024 (2023 Vintage)
"Ripe, luscious riesling that is sweet without being at all cloying. Flavours include apple, honey, apricot, exotic spices and crystallised ginger. Great with dessert at the end of a meal but equally appealing as an aperitif."

5 Stars Michael Cooper, July 2024 (2023 Vintage)
"Estate-grown at Waipara, the 2023 vintage is packaged in a full-sized (750-ml) bottle. A lovely mouthful, it was harvested at a very ripe 28 brix, with 30-50 per cent botrytis infection. Bright, light yellow/green, it is attractively scented, finely poised and intense, with rich, vigorous, peachy, gently honeyed flavours, crisp, sweet (87 grams/litre of residual sugar) and lasting. Already delicious, with obvious cellaring potential."

Rated Excellent & 94/100 Cameron Douglas MS, March 2024 (2023 Vintage)
"Such an enticing bouquet with the sweetness of ripe fruit, honey and honeysuckle, preserved lemon, quince and peach. As the wine touches the palate you’ll notice a spritz like tickle, that’s deliberate adding mouthfeel and freshness and accentuating the acid line then core flavours of citrus and stone fruits. Precise and pristine, salivating and delicious. A wine for the table any day of the week. Best drinking from 2024 through 2030."

5 Stars & 19/20 (95) Candice Chow, Raymond Chan, May 2024 (2023 Vintage)
"Bright, even, pale yellow gold. The nose is fresh, with aromas of stonefruit, citrus, honey and floral. Full-bodied, aromas of peach and apricot entwined with kumquat, mandarin and lychee, unfolding citrus blossom, jasmine and honey. Ripe phenolics lightly texture the mouthfeel, unveiling citrus peels and jasmine tea fragrance. The balanced sweetness provides broadness and opulence to the palate, counter-plays lively acidity and persists an amiable, lengthy finish. This late-picked Riesling is packed with succulent fruit and floral details, built on layers and length."