LEEFIELD STATION RIDGELINE RIESLING 2023

TASTING NOTE

Delicate notes of lemon, stone fruits and subtle honey hints define the aromas of this vibrant, youthful wine. The palate is crunchy and fruity, complemented by minerality and natural fresh acidity to finish in a crisp, dry yet well balanced style.

FOOD MATCHING

Try our Leefield Station Ridgeline Riesling 2023 alongside freshly caught kingfish ceviche sprinkled with coriander. Or even alongside a simple, traditional carbonara generously garnished with parmigiano reggiano and a simple balsamic side salad.

CELLARING POTENTIAL

Crafted to be enjoyed at the peak of its vibrancy and freshness, we recommend drinking this wine within 3 years of vintage date.

ORIGIN

Leefield Station, Waihopai Valley, Marlborough.

VARIETY

100% Riesling.

WINEMAKING

The fruit for this wine is machine harvested and destemmed in the field before being gently pressed into stainless steel tanks for a 2-3 days cold settling. Then the juice is racked clean to ferment in small batches at cool temperatures with selected yeast strains selected to preserve and develop the specific varietal characters of Riesling. Following primary fermentation, the new wine is kept on heavy lees for 7 days before being racked and matured on fine lees prior to blending and finishing.

ANALYSIS

• Alcohol 12.0%
• pH 3.12
• Titratable Acidity 8.1g/L
• Residual Sugar 5.4g/L
• Vegan Certified

VINTAGE

A warm and wet winter spurred an early start to the growing season with fully charged soil moistures and warm ambient temperatures in early spring. The few frosts through September and October did little to disrupt the healthy development of strong, lush canopies.

Flowering began with cooler temperatures and periodic bouts of rain in the early summer, with the weather improving as we headed towards Christmas; typical with respect to warmth, sunshine hours and rainfall.

Late summer warmth in late February and March along with careful canopy management, delivered slowly ripened, disease free, incredibly clean fruit!

Harvest commenced in mid-March. Due to the long, cool ripening season, fruit was harvested significantly later than usual but retained all of its vibrancy of flavour and crisp, ripe acids. The team are excited by the bright flavour expressions and huge diversity of character coming through in the wines of the 2023 vintage.

4 STARS

• The Real Review: Bob Campbell 2023

"A suspicion of sweetness is almost completely masked by moderately assertive acidity to give a dry and lengthy finish. Although it can be appreciated now the wine promises to become even more mellow and complex with bottle age."