PEGASUS BAY ENCORE NOBLE RIESLING 2025 375ml

The wine has intense aromas and flavours of ripe peaches, nectarines and apricots. Behind these lie hints of tropical fruits, such as pineapples, guavas and lychees. It has a core of citrus fruit characters with impressions of lemons, limes and grape-fruit, that flow through the palate and linger as a tingling minerality, perfectly balancing its lusciously, honeyed structure.

Winery notes (2025 Vintage)
"With an alluring pale gold hue, Encore 2025 presents a delightfully fragranced nose, replete with lychee, apricot, honeyed pear and chocolate orange. Nestled within there are also suggestions of linden blossom, sweet spices and a whisp of cut hay. On the generous and engaging palate your senses are fully occupied. Succulent fruit intensity is complemented by charming sweetness and a whip of lively acidity, setting the stage for a long and luscious finish.

Encore is part of our reserve series and is dependent on specific conditions at the end of the season leading to noble rot. This wine is made in the style of an Alsatian Selection des Grains Nobles, or a German Trockenbeerenauslësen. Riesling grapes were left to hang until late autumn, and then hand-picked, choosing the most beautifully botrytic fruit. Further hand selection was carried out in the winery, retaining only the best berries. These were gently pressed, and a small amount of very rich juice obtained. This was transferred into tank, where it was left to gradually ferment at low temperatures, to preserve varietal purity and help the wine express the unique characters of our region."

Reviews for the previous release below…

5 Stars & 96/100 Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review, December 2022 (2017 Vintage)
"Deep, yellow/gold colour. Very intense, exotic wine with bush honey, musk, honeycomb, passionfruit, mango and even a hint of durian. It's not at all cloying despite its intensity, thanks to a mouth-watering thread of fine acidity. Delicious now but no rush."

Rated Outstanding & 95/100 Cameron Douglas MS, December 2022 (2017 Vintage)
"Aromas of honeyed apricots and marmalade, fresh peaches and manuka honey. Bold and delicious, creamy textured and fresh. There’s no mistaking the sweetness, but easily contrasted by high acidity and flavours of yellow stone fruits and baked apple flesh. An exciting and delicious wine that reminds me of juicy California peaches, honey and sherbet. Well made with drink from today through 2040."

5 Stars Michael Cooper, May 2022 (2017 Vintage)
"Grown at Waipara, in North Canterbury, this beauty is from hand-selected, botrytised bunches and berries, harvested late in the season in multiple passes through the vineyard. The 2017 vintage is golden, with a rich bouquet of apricots and honey. A wine of great depth, beauty and harmony, it has rich, oily peach, apricot and honey flavours, abundant sweetness (266 grams/litre of residual sugar), good acid spine and an enduring finish."

Rated Outstanding, Mark Henderson, Otago Daily Times, June 2023 (2017 Vintage)
"The nose oozes richness. Barley sugar, musk, smoky botrytis, honey, beeswax, mandarin, super complex. Lush, intensely viscous, coats the palate, yet for all its power and sweetness there’s lovely balance, with a core of acidity that keeps this fresh. Incredibly intense, dessert in a glass, the flavours linger & linger. Pair with blue cheese perhaps."

5 Stars & 19.5/20 (98) Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, December 2022 (2017 Vintage)
"Bright, medium-gold colour, even colour throughout. This has an intense, voluminous bouquet packed with honey, bubble gum, spice, beeswax, marmalade and baked apple. Medium-bodied, luscious to taste, aromas of clementine, lime marmalade and baked apple melded with honey, ginger, beeswax and floral perfume. The mouthfeel is unctuous and voluminous; brilliant acidity attacks with freshness and tension provide a refreshing, extremely long finish. This Noble Riesling shows impressive arrays of flavour, strength and balance, lending an incredibly moreish, pleasing finish. Only produced in exceptional vintages, best berries selected in the winery from late-picked, noble botrytized fruit, gently pressed, fermented in tank over many months at low temperatures. 10.5% alc, 266 g/l RS."

94/100 Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, April 2024 (2017 Vintage)
"The 2017 Riesling Encore Noble does botrytis the way it's supposed to be done: all marmalade, spice, honey and good VA lift on the nose, followed up with a luscious party for the mouth. If only you could spread this on toast – it would be delicious. Failing that, pâté on toast would be a great pairing, or a gorgeous tarte Tatin. It's just softening its edges thanks to time in bottle, but it's still marvellously young and has another two decades in it. Pristine acidity finds its way through the residual sugar on the long, spun sugar-basket- and orange-laden finish."

94/100 Dave Brookes, James Halliday's Wine Companion, February 2025 (2017 Vintage)
"Deep, rich gold in the glass with aromas of apricot marmalade, toffee apple, candied citrus rind, peach melba, fresh and dried honey, pressed flowers, sweet iced tea and yellow plum essence. Gloriously sweet and unctuous with lip-smacking candied citrus and honey-soaked baked apricots and soft spice on the long finish. Super stuff."