Stunning definition and precision on this wine. Petrol, lime cordial, snake fruit and passionfruit nose, it's lithe and spritely, while incredibly expansive on the palate. Acid in perfect balance with the fruit - the tension is just fabulous. I've noted some comments that talk about sweetness. There is residual sugar no doubt, but this is very energetic, even for a spaetlese in style. Think somewhere between Clare Valley and the Nahe and you might be able to put an image together. Stunning with Japanese dishes, but definitely not one for pudding or most cheeses. Has years left.
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This is the third bottle I've had at two year intervals, with strikingly without change. Certainly enjoyable now, but I guess I'll check min again in 2 more years.
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Unfortuntely the LAST bottle of this New World gem. Similiar notes to Feb 2019 : On both nose and palate, consistent and finely balanced some flavour variations at 10 years of age , slightly earthier , with notes of ripe quince and cantaloupe, and the acidity has softened and woven well into the fruit and coriander components ....as it warms notes of ginger and white pepper add a lively touch....the wine is reminiscent of a 2011 Trimbach cuvee Frederic Emile , but not quite as complex ...can still age.
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A slight downgrade from the Feb 2019 notes.....all of the previous notes stand....BUT...this wine's acidity is diminishing and the sweet side is taking over ....definitely a wine for water biscuits and stilton rather than main courses.
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A superb new world Riesling. On nose: damp earth, moss and diesel. On palate: the follow through of flavours remain.....BUT do they ever take a back seat to the fresh peach, tart lime , wax and botrytis!.....as the wine warms up, elements of blood orange and gala apple with a compliment of coriander flesh out this surprisingly full bodied wine.....the balance of sweetness and acidity leans more to sweetness, without being cloying. I would be FAR more inclined to serve this with water biscuits , Stilton or Roquefort, toasted almonds ,and apple and pear slices as a dessert .....not so much a dinner wine.....Will age well.
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Good density of fruit and just off dry. Enough acid. Small dose of petrol adds rather than detracts.Slightly honeyed from botrytis, but without any bitterness. All in all, a nice package, and not significantly changed from a couple of years ago, so drink or hold. A nice match for grilled stuffed Bronzini.
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This isn't bad, but the high scores here are somewhat baffling as well. It lacks the verve of better German rieslings IMO. There is decent complexity though and a good hit of diesel/petrol/rubber that fades a bit and adds interest rather than dominating. This was a bit cloying on its own, but drank well mixed 2:1 with Perrier.
Agree with one of the previous tasting note that there is some "spritz" effect (tingly) in the wine. Not sure this is a good thing. Sweet wine. Nice yellow color. Long lingering flavors.
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With all the hype I had to try it. Got 12 of it. Since it was cheap enough. It's on the sweet side. I chill it in freezer and try as it gets more room temp. But it's more on sweet side
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Very good wine and great value for money. Bright golden colour. Lovely honey on the nose with mineral/petrol. Slight spritz at first which went after a few minutes in the glass. Strongest impression in the mouth was again of honey, with citrus/apple zing giving beautiful balance and long off dry finish. Only 2 left and I will have to space them out.
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Thought this was beautiful. Smoky nose with lime and zesty orange dominant. Great acidity and balance. Could easily have been from the Mosel. Wish I had more.
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Off dry, full and even rich flavored but with very good acid balance. A little petrol at this age, especially at first. A CT taster mentioned a touch of botrytis and I can see that. Definitely heavier than the Mosel riesling we usually drink but not at all clumsy or overblown. My wife loved it, and was happy to find out it was from New Zealand, as we're vacationing there in February.
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Slightly subdued nose, but with notes of lime and a hint of honey. On the palate, plenty of acidity perfectly balanced by a lovely sweetness, just the right side of off dry for me. The finish seems to go on forever with a wonderful interplay of sweetness and acidity. May improve with age, but in a very good place right now. A seriously good wine
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Day 2 - nose of iced lemon, lime and grapefruit, honeysuckle, orange zest, orange blossom - slight guava. Palate very similar bringing in a mineral-chalkiness with incredible acidity and balance between dryness and sweetness. Also introducing more complexity with unripe apricot, peach and nectarine. Has a zesty, dry finish.
Keep for another 3+ at least.
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Outstanding wine. Superb and vibrant nose and a palate, verging on medium sweet that is still defined by varietal expression. A touch of botrytis adds further body to the wine.
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Absolutely wonderful Riesling, which manages to be at once both refreshing and (to some extent) profound. It provided the happy experience of loving it from the first taste and knowing that (in this case) there are more bottles of it down in the crawl space. I've had great luck (though it isn't really luck at all) aging Rieslings, whether dry or sweet.
Speaking of which, I had assumed from the label that this would be totally dry. But it isn't, which I would have realized had I remembered the Decanter review I read before I ordered the wine:
"Pegasus Bay takes a minimal intervention approach to its wines. The Rieslings are made with the German Spätlese style in mind, and this entices with a medium-dry palate of delightful, peachy fruit and aromas of waxy lime, grapefruit and baked peach sweetness. Mouthwateringly fresh." 95 points -- Decanter Magazine
Not long after having drunk this wine, I opened a Konstantin Frank Riesling (2013, as I recall). No comparison (or at least none that would benefit the wine from my beloved Finger Lakes).
I can't wait to open another bottle of this Pegasus Bay. But I will...
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Clean and elegant. Intense flavours of green apple, lime with possibly very slight hints of petrol. Good acidity. Off-dry. A bit spritzy when first opened. Very nice wine
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This is an outstanding semi-dry (slightly sweet) Riesling. With a nose of grapefruit and honeysuckle and the tiniest hint of fizz, it has a pronounced lime citrus note on the attack, with a very nice acidic lift. Noticeable minerality on the mid-palate helps keep the residual sugars in check, making this a very refreshing and lip-smackingly tasty Riesling, but one with far more complexity than other Rieslings at the same price point. One of the best Rieslings I've had in a while. I'd buy more if I could get them. Highly recommended.
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This is a nice new style Riesling-- Crisp front, Smooth middle and Tart finish. It is not my favorite style of Riesling, but this wine allowed the fruit to show off a good bit. This is a wine that will improve over years, it shows layers and leads with an incredible diesel character. Time in bottle will integrate those flavors -- just remember with the Stelvin cap keep it upright in your cellar!
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Really impressive. I get a fantastic, strong smell of passion fruit and a gently sweet taste that has a lingering finish. We had with Steamed Thai Fish Cakes with a chilli lime sauce - went well and held up to the spice.
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Rich sweet lime nose and then the palate just explodes on your tongue. It just has a really lovely weight, where the off-dry sweetness is balanced by lots of limey fresh acidity. There are ripe apricots, lime and a spritzy, lemon-sherbert fizz to the finish. This is just what I want from an off-dry NZ Riesling and it will be worth grabbing some to lay down.
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5/3/2021 - depechemoroder Likes this wine: 93 Points
Stunning definition and precision on this wine. Petrol, lime cordial, snake fruit and passionfruit nose, it's lithe and spritely, while incredibly expansive on the palate. Acid in perfect balance with the fruit - the tension is just fabulous. I've noted some comments that talk about sweetness. There is residual sugar no doubt, but this is very energetic, even for a spaetlese in style. Think somewhere between Clare Valley and the Nahe and you might be able to put an image together. Stunning with Japanese dishes, but definitely not one for pudding or most cheeses. Has years left.
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11/6/2020 - cweiss wrote:
This is the third bottle I've had at two year intervals, with strikingly without change. Certainly enjoyable now, but I guess I'll check min again in 2 more years.
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9/13/2020 - Pontifax Likes this wine: 94 Points
Unfortuntely the LAST bottle of this New World gem.
Similiar notes to Feb 2019 :
On both nose and palate, consistent and finely balanced some flavour variations at 10 years of age , slightly earthier , with notes of ripe quince and cantaloupe, and the acidity has softened and woven well into the fruit and coriander components ....as it warms notes of ginger and white pepper add a lively touch....the wine is reminiscent of a 2011 Trimbach cuvee Frederic Emile , but not quite as complex ...can still age.
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11/9/2019 - Pontifax Likes this wine: 92 Points
A slight downgrade from the Feb 2019 notes.....all of the previous notes stand....BUT...this wine's acidity is diminishing and the sweet side is taking over ....definitely a wine for water biscuits and stilton rather than main courses.
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2/18/2019 - Pontifax Likes this wine: 94 Points
A superb new world Riesling.
On nose: damp earth, moss and diesel.
On palate: the follow through of flavours remain.....BUT do they ever take a back seat to the fresh peach, tart lime , wax and botrytis!.....as the wine warms up, elements of blood orange and gala apple with a compliment of coriander flesh out this surprisingly full bodied wine.....the balance of sweetness and acidity leans more to sweetness, without being cloying.
I would be FAR more inclined to serve this with water biscuits , Stilton or Roquefort, toasted almonds ,and apple and pear slices as a dessert .....not so much a dinner wine.....Will age well.
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10/6/2018 - cweiss Likes this wine:
Good density of fruit and just off dry. Enough acid. Small dose of petrol adds rather than detracts.Slightly honeyed from botrytis, but without any bitterness. All in all, a nice package, and not significantly changed from a couple of years ago, so drink or hold. A nice match for grilled stuffed Bronzini.
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5/8/2018 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Orange, and honeysuckle, and gasoline.
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2/17/2018 - sleepyhaus wrote:
This isn't bad, but the high scores here are somewhat baffling as well. It lacks the verve of better German rieslings IMO. There is decent complexity though and a good hit of diesel/petrol/rubber that fades a bit and adds interest rather than dominating. This was a bit cloying on its own, but drank well mixed 2:1 with Perrier.
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7/10/2017 - mpsocal wrote: flawed
Slightly effervescent
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6/16/2017 - nowine4u Likes this wine: 89 Points
Agree with one of the previous tasting note that there is some "spritz" effect (tingly) in the wine. Not sure this is a good thing. Sweet wine. Nice yellow color. Long lingering flavors.
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6/11/2017 - aquaman wrote: 89 Points
With all the hype I had to try it. Got 12 of it.
Since it was cheap enough. It's on the sweet side. I chill it in freezer and try as it gets more room temp. But it's more on sweet side
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12/22/2016 - rossso Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very good wine and great value for money. Bright golden colour. Lovely honey on the nose with mineral/petrol. Slight spritz at first which went after a few minutes in the glass. Strongest impression in the mouth was again of honey, with citrus/apple zing giving beautiful balance and long off dry finish. Only 2 left and I will have to space them out.
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10/14/2016 - Ianjaig Likes this wine: 94 Points
Thought this was beautiful. Smoky nose with lime and zesty orange dominant. Great acidity and balance. Could easily have been from the Mosel. Wish I had more.
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10/5/2016 - cweiss Likes this wine:
Off dry, full and even rich flavored but with very good acid balance. A little petrol at this age, especially at first. A CT taster mentioned a touch of botrytis and I can see that. Definitely heavier than the Mosel riesling we usually drink but not at all clumsy or overblown. My wife loved it, and was happy to find out it was from New Zealand, as we're vacationing there in February.
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6/21/2016 - trepak wrote: 93 Points
Slightly subdued nose, but with notes of lime and a hint of honey. On the palate, plenty of acidity perfectly balanced by a lovely sweetness, just the right side of off dry for me. The finish seems to go on forever with a wonderful interplay of sweetness and acidity. May improve with age, but in a very good place right now. A seriously good wine
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6/3/2016 - benjaminpaul wrote: 92 Points
Day 2 - nose of iced lemon, lime and grapefruit, honeysuckle, orange zest, orange blossom - slight guava. Palate very similar bringing in a mineral-chalkiness with incredible acidity and balance between dryness and sweetness. Also introducing more complexity with unripe apricot, peach and nectarine. Has a zesty, dry finish.
Keep for another 3+ at least.
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5/7/2016 - MindMuse wrote: 92 Points
At a Derby Day party. So wonderfully blowing away its price point. Sterling NZ Riesling, getting better with time. PB Riesling is serious stuff.
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11/23/2015 - Marc wrote: 91 Points
Outstanding wine. Superb and vibrant nose and a palate, verging on medium sweet that is still defined by varietal expression. A touch of botrytis adds further body to the wine.
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6/30/2015 - jamesdlandis Likes this wine: 93 Points
Absolutely wonderful Riesling, which manages to be at once both refreshing and (to some extent) profound. It provided the happy experience of loving it from the first taste and knowing that (in this case) there are more bottles of it down in the crawl space. I've had great luck (though it isn't really luck at all) aging Rieslings, whether dry or sweet.
Speaking of which, I had assumed from the label that this would be totally dry. But it isn't, which I would have realized had I remembered the Decanter review I read before I ordered the wine:
"Pegasus Bay takes a minimal intervention approach to its wines. The Rieslings are made with the German Spätlese style in mind, and this entices with a medium-dry palate of delightful, peachy fruit and aromas of waxy lime, grapefruit and baked peach sweetness. Mouthwateringly fresh."
95 points -- Decanter Magazine
Not long after having drunk this wine, I opened a Konstantin Frank Riesling (2013, as I recall). No comparison (or at least none that would benefit the wine from my beloved Finger Lakes).
I can't wait to open another bottle of this Pegasus Bay. But I will...
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5/17/2015 - saturnaisland wrote: 92 Points
Clean and elegant. Intense flavours of green apple, lime with possibly very slight hints of petrol. Good acidity. Off-dry. A bit spritzy when first opened. Very nice wine
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4/18/2015 - aidyl Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is an outstanding semi-dry (slightly sweet) Riesling. With a nose of grapefruit and honeysuckle and the tiniest hint of fizz, it has a pronounced lime citrus note on the attack, with a very nice acidic lift. Noticeable minerality on the mid-palate helps keep the residual sugars in check, making this a very refreshing and lip-smackingly tasty Riesling, but one with far more complexity than other Rieslings at the same price point. One of the best Rieslings I've had in a while. I'd buy more if I could get them. Highly recommended.
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4/8/2015 - wtianseter wrote: 90 Points
This is a nice new style Riesling-- Crisp front, Smooth middle and Tart finish. It is not my favorite style of Riesling, but this wine allowed the fruit to show off a good bit. This is a wine that will improve over years, it shows layers and leads with an incredible diesel character. Time in bottle will integrate those flavors -- just remember with the Stelvin cap keep it upright in your cellar!
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1/24/2015 - MichDal wrote: 95 Points
Really impressive. I get a fantastic, strong smell of passion fruit and a gently sweet taste that has a lingering finish. We had with Steamed Thai Fish Cakes with a chilli lime sauce - went well and held up to the spice.
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3/20/2014 - leebmx Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich sweet lime nose and then the palate just explodes on your tongue. It just has a really lovely weight, where the off-dry sweetness is balanced by lots of limey fresh acidity. There are ripe apricots, lime and a spritzy, lemon-sherbert fizz to the finish. This is just what I want from an off-dry NZ Riesling and it will be worth grabbing some to lay down.
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1/8/2014 - Alandel Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is a very pleasant medium Riesling, with just a little zing. Bright and light coloured, it opens up to a gentle but compelling wine.
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