Rippon Mature Vine Riesling 2017

Cellar for up to 6 years. Serve chilled.

Rippon Vineyard is named after Emma Ripon who emigrated to Australia from England in the 1850s. Her family later moved to remote Wanaka on New Zealand’s South Island where they founded a farm, becoming one of the first in the region to start making wine in the 1970s. The idea to plant vines here was first inspired by a trip Rolfe Mills took to the Douro Valley which prompted him to experiment with a few rows of vines planted on a steep slope above the family house.

Rolfe’s son Nick is a former Olympic ski champion as well as an experienced winemaker who has worked at top Burgundy domaines like Domaine Jean-Jacques Confuron and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Since 2003 he’s been in charge of the running of the estate which currently has 15 hectares of vines worked both organically and biodynamically.

Riesling suits the cool climate in this part of the South Island and this particular bottling is crafted from mature vines planted on schist and gravel soils. In the glass you’ll immediately notice the intense fruit aromas of peaches, apricots and sweet citrus along with undertones of slate and white flowers. On the palate there’s an energetic freshness matched by a light body, rich stone fruit flavours and a pure, clean finish with lingering aromatics.