Selected for the Fine Wines of New Zealand List
Pegasus Bay have an illustrious history with Riesling and would have to be considered as one of New Zealand's very top Riesling producers and many peoples favourite. From vines that are now over 30 years old, Bel Canto is Pegasus Bay's 'dry Riesling' and although technically dry at only 5 grams per litre of residual sugar it offers a wonderfully rich, complex and luscious palate.
Winery notes (2022 Vintage)
"Average weather over flowering resulted in a balanced crop, meaning no further fruit thinning was carried out. This was followed by a cooler than average summer which delayed ripening. Fortunately, a warm dry autumn allowed the grapes to be left on the vines till later in the season, where they were able to achieve the desired level of ripeness.
With its large diurnal range and long lingering autumns, North Canterbury is an ideal playground for Riesling, and Bel Canto is a perfect example of this. This wine is part of our reserve series, which we only make 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 botrytis and a ripeness of approximately 25.5 Brix. The free run juice was then fermented slowly at cool temperatures to help the wine retain its vibrant fruit characters and varietal purity. Alcoholic fermentation was left to continue until dryness was achieved. At all stages, the wine was handled very carefully to help retain a little of its natural carbon dioxide. This has resulted in a small amount of spritzig, which adds extra liveliness to the wine and accentuates its freshness.
Upon release it has a pale gold hue. Tantalising aromas of flint and citrus blossom erupt from the glass, spliced with undertones of apricot, kaffir lime leaf and kumquat, swathed in a quartzy minerality. The palate is fresh and lively, a rich mouthfeel backed by invigorating acidity that creates a pleasing tension. Structured yet oozing with finesse, it delivers a long, focused finish."
5 Stars & 96/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, December 2023 (2022 Vintage)
"Gorgeously rich yet with structure and harmony, the wine shows grilled stone fruit, grapefruit, orange peel and warm spice aromas, leading to a wonderfully flavoursome palate offering terrific weight and depth. It's richly textured with beautifully pitched acidity, finishing expansive and persistent."
Rated Excellent & 94/100 Cameron Douglas MS, August 2023 (2022 Vintage)
"The Bel Canto style is immediately reflected in this new release example, showcasing a slick and vibrant bouquet of lemon rind and apple, a mix of marmalade and honeysuckle, mineral and fruit spice. On the palate all these flavours ideas explode throughout carried throughout the palate with a back bone of acidity and fine silky mouthfeel thereafter. Youthful and taut, a wine that will surely age well if cellared properly. Lengthy, fresh and ready to drink from today if you like, best from 2026 through 2035+."
94/100 Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review, July 2023 (2022 Vintage)
"Alsace-style riesling with apricot, lime, orange blossom, apple and oyster shell flavours. The wine is dry but not austere. It has energy and impressive complexity. Good drinking now but with the potential to develop well with bottle age."
5 Stars & 18.5/20 (93) Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, August 2023 (2022 Vintage)
"Bright, pale yellow, even colour throughout. The nose is full and complex, with aromas of gunflint over laying citrus, orchard fruit and crunchy minerals. Medium-full bodied, aromas of lime, green apple and mandarine form a taut core, unfolding beeswax, crushed rocks and smoky gunflint. Acid tension carries apple-skin-like phenolics and citrus zest along a light waxy mouthfeel. This Dry Riesling shows focus and linearity, accompanied by complex flavours and a textural mouthfeel. Match with smoked fish and pork hock terrine over the next 6+ years. Only produced in exceptional vintages, hand selected with a portion of botrytised grapes, fermented cool to 14% alc, 5.3 g/l RS."
4 ½ Stars Michael Cooper, October 2023 (2022 Vintage)
"Bel Canto means 'Beautiful Singing'. Based on the estate's mature, ungrafted vines at Waipara, in North Canterbury, the 2022 vintage was 'hand-selected with a portion of botrytis'. Bright, light lemon/green, it is mouthfilling, with strong, peachy, vaguely honeyed flavours, firm acid spine and a dryish (5 grams/litre of residual sugar), tightly structured finish. A distinctive wine, it's crying out for cellaring; open mid-2025+."