Harvest

Hand harvested between April 14th and 17th 2008. Significant botrytis infection. Whole cluster pressed to tank.

• Brix: 22 – 23

• TA: 8.5 - 9 g/l

• pH: 3.20 – 3.30   

• Yield: 7.0T/ha (2.8T/ac)

Cellar & Bottling

Racked off gross lees after overnight settling. Fermented with in stainless steel tanks to ~ 30g/l residual sugar. Chilled. Cold stabilised. Sterile filtered.

Bottled: July 25th, 2008

• RS: 27 g/l

• TA: 7.3 g/l

• pH: 3.18

• Alcohol: 12.8%

Wine

Showing typical Riesling characters of lime juice and spice, this “moderately sweet” wine will age for at least 10 years. Enjoy as an aperitif or matched with lighter and spicey foods – especially Asian and Fusion cuisine.

Growers’ Series: With the 2008 vintage we have introduced a new series of wines. Muddy Water Growers Series will be used for grapes not grown on our estate vineyards which are currently undergoing transition to organic certification.

To ensure quality and uniformity this wine is a single lot, bottled at our vineyard on one day and sealed with a screw cap. Do not expect or accept any bottle variation. We regard bottle variation as an unacceptable “thing of the past”.

"Grown at Waipara, the debut 2008 vintage was hand-picked and stop-fermented in a medium style (27 grams/litre of residual sugar).  Ripely scented, with a hint of botrytis, it is mouthfilling (13% alcohol) and ripe, with good complexity of citrusy, spicy, peachy, slightly honeyed flavours, well-rounded and generous.  It's already delicious.  ****

Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide to New Zealand Wines, 2011

"Fragrant with lovely limey fruit and a hint of dried apricots indicating a hint of botrytis, this is full in the mouth, medium sweet but with a lively tension and dryish finish."

Charmian Smith, November 2008 - Otago Daily Times


"Lovely wine, with an obvious touch of botrytis. Honey, limes and apricot - very complex. Quite sweet and rather Mosel in style."

Huon Hooke, March 2009 - Gourmet Traveller Wine


"Wine of the week. Already delicious, with mouth-filling body and generous, citrusy, spicy, peachy flavours, ripe and rounded. Drink now or cellar."

Michael Cooper, April 2009 - Listener


"Lightly sweet (27g/p/l) and elegant, a delicious wine in perfect balance. A great Waipara statement for this variety with its harmony and fruit flavours with a very high drinkability rating."

Peter Saunders, February 2009 - Hospitality Magazine


"One of their growers’ series wines, the grapes were grown calcareous clay soil of the Lough Vineyard just north of the Waipara Village. A beautifully aromatic nose displaying candied lemon, mandarin and a hint of honey characters. The palate is lusciously sweet and generous with opulent texture and fine acidity providing excellent balance. A seamless wine with a huge appeal already. 5 Stars out of 5. 93/100 - - Outstanding quality showing varietal purity and exemplifying regional type."

Sam Kim, Senior Wine Judge, Wine Orbit