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Buy OnlinePegasus 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 (2023 Vintage)
"It has a bright gold tint upon release. A vibrant amalgam of sweet and sour aromas gush from the glass, pineapple, mango, and orange blossom in the attack, accompanied by suggestions of quince, kumquat, calamansi, and a lick of wet river gravel. The mouthfeel is generous, yet precise, with a rich, textured palate, supported by a cheeky whip of acidity and ripe phenolics that create structure and length, funnelling towards a long, moreish close.
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."
5 Stars & 96/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, March 2024 (2023 Vintage)
"Offering vibrancy with richness, the wine shows grilled stone fruit, orange peel, rich floral and warm spice aromas on the nose. The palate is filled with delectable flavours with spicy nuances, wonderfully complemented by fleshy texture and beautifully pitched acidity. Superbly long on the finish with layers of delicious flavours. At its best: now to 2038."
5 Stars Michael Cooper, July 2024 (2023 Vintage)
"Bel Canto means 'Beautiful Singing'. Based on the estate's mature vines at Waipara, in North Canterbury, the extremely youthful 2023 vintage was 'hand-selected with a portion of botrytis'. Light lemon/green, it is a powerful, notably sturdy and weighty style of Riesling, with rich, peachy, lemony, vaguely honeyed flavours, showing excellent delicacy, harmony and length. Crisp and basically dry, it's built for the long haul."
Rated Excellent & 93+/100 Cameron Douglas MS, March 2023 (2023 Vintage)
"Very youthful, vibrant and pristine bouquet with its signature of honeysuckle and complexity from later picked fruit, lemon and white peach, apple and a layer of quince. Delicious on the palate finishing dry driven by a backbone of acidity and mouthfeel, and flavours of citrus and white fleshed orchard fruits before the honeysuckle and late pick characters fold back in. A wine that will age well and deliver exceptional value in years to come."
93/100 Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review, May 2024 (2023 Vintage)
"Alsace-style dry riesling with impressive weight and layers of complex flavours that include lime zest, oyster shell, mandarin and exotic spices. It can be appreciated now but shows obvious cellaring potential."
Joelle Thomson, drinksbiz Magazine October/November 2024 (2023 Vintage)
"This exceptional dry Riesling won first place in this year’s Judgement of London, a wine competition inspired by a famous blind tasting held in the 70s and judged by a 21-strong panel comprising mostly Masters of Wine or Master Sommeliers. It pits the best wines of Europe against those from the rest of the world and Bel Canto was named Top Scoring White and Top Scoring Overall Wine. It is made from hand-picked grapes with a noticeable proportion of late harvest fruit concentration, which shows here in aromas of ripe mandarin, lime zest, peach and nectarine, with a hint of honey and incredible purity of flavour. An outstanding wine with beautiful balance, great flavour now and the ability to age for at least 10 years. It is consistently fabulous and contains approximately 5 grams RS."
