PEGASUS BAY BEL CANTO DRY RIESLING 2024

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 6.7 grams per litre of residual sugar it offers a wonderfully rich, complex and luscious palate. 

Winery notes (2024 Vintage)
"​You are greeted by a light gold colour with a shining lime hue. A full and richly scented bouquet rises from the glass, with suggestions of pineapple, quince and oyster shell, spliced with floral notes of citrus blossom and honeysuckle. The concentrated palate displays outstanding weight and a richly textured mouthfeel, perfectly structured by vibrant acidity and a sassy dash of spritzig. Bel Canto 24 is impressively complex and flavoursome, with an expansive, persistent finish.

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. After an extended hang time, the bunches were hand selected with a ripeness of approximately 25.5 Brix. The free run juice was then slowly fermented to dryness at cool temperatures to help the wine retain its vibrant fruit characters and varietal purity. 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 freshnesss.

Cooler and windier conditions during Spring meant lower crop levels, keeping fruit thinning to a minimum. The weather gods then handed us the opposite during Summer, with a warm and settled state prevailing, so this smaller crop was able to mature beautifully. Autumn was similarly favourable, allowing each variety to be picked at its optimum ripeness. Our 2024 harvest saw smaller yields across the board, but as a result we were blessed with intense fruit flavour and concentration, delivering some outstanding wines."

5 Stars & 96/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, June 2025 (2024 Vintage)
"Complex and enticing, the bouquet shows ripe apricot, pineapple, rockmelon, lemon cured, and warm spice aromas. The fabulously expressed palate displays excellent weight and finely textured mouthfeel, brilliantly structured by mouth-watering acidity, finishing superbly long and satisfying. At its best: now to 2036."

Rated Outstanding & 95/100 Cameron Douglas MS, June 2025 (2024 Vintage)
"A fragrant and delicious wine with aromas of orange blossom and lime-flower, lime and grapefruit then red apple. Complex and classic PB style, youthful and captivating. A dry wine on the palate with a backbone of acidity and mineral framing flavours of citrus and apple reflecting the bouquet. Delicious, lengthy and very tasty. Best drinking from 2029 through 2040."

5 Stars & 18.5+/20 (94) Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, June 2025 (2024 Vintage)
"Bright, even, pale yellow gold. The nose is full, with aromas of stonefruit, lychee, underlying citrus, zest, jasmine and orange blossom. Full-bodied, dry to taste, aromas of apricot, lychee and grapefruit intertwined with grapefruit peels, jasmine and orange blossom. The fruit is lush and shows good weight; invigorating acidity carries zesty spice and floral fragrance to an extended, layered finish. A consistent, complex and intriguing Riesling. Match with fish terrine and lemon chicken over the next 6+ years. Only produced in exceptional vintages, extended hang time, and selected for ripeness, the free run juice was fermented at a cool temperature to 13.5% alc, 6.7 g/l RS."