Nepenthe Late Harvest Riesling 2010

Variety



A weather quirk has resulted in a new wine style for Nepenthe. Due to the development of Botrytis in the Riesling vines at a block in Echunga, the wine making team have developed a sweet late-harvest wine style. Botrytis is a mould that develops on grape skins and removes much of the water from the grape. This concentrates the sugar and flavour within the fruit. It will develop in humid, damp conditions and can result in beautiful, rich, luscious wines.



Vintage



Vintage 2010 will be remembered favourably for producing conditions ideal for grape ripening and harvest. Budburst was again early in 2009 with the vines waking up as early as August. Rainfall tracked above average for both winter and spring for the first time in years, giving all vines a much needed soaking and resulting in excellent canopy growth. The ripening period was then very dry, with mild temperatures and importantly cool nights. These ideal conditions allowed us to harvest the fruit at optimal ripeness and allowed for the development of powerful varietal flavours across all varieties.

Murray Leake – Viticulturist

Winemaking



The fruit was left on the vines for approx 6 weeks longer than the rest of the white grape varieties to allow the botrytis to develop. Fruit was hand harvested, with careful selection of the best botrytis bunches. Fruit was rapidly transferred to the winery for processing. Grapes were pressed to get as much juice as possible however extraction was very low. It was fermented with commercial yeast and kept to a low temperature. Winemaking techniques were kept to a minimum to preserve the concentrated fruit character.  

Andre Bondar - Winemaker

Region: Adelaide Hills



Variety: Riesling



Colour: Golden yellow 



Bouquet: A concentrated mix of floral, musk, mandarin, orange peel and citrus blossom 



Palate: Rich and luscious with ripe apricot and tropical fruit flavours, finishing with fresh, crisp acidity



Alcohol: 11%



Cellaring: Enjoy within 3 years of vintage



Serving suggestion: Perfect with dessert, our Riesling will match well with a lemon cheesecake, passionfruit panna cotta or white chocolate mousse. Will also match well to a cheese platter with a selection of dried fruits and cheeses such as blue vein and vintage cheddar.