North Canterbury is one of the greatest wine regions in Aotearoa New Zealand and it's with a sense of awe that I taste the wines from the typically small to medium sized wine producers in this interesting pocket of winemaking, 40 minutes ' north of Christchurch city. It might be a smidge on north of the city but North Canterbury really is a world away in terms of the style of wines made there.
18.5/20
2024 Pegasus Bay Bel Canto RRP $40
Bel Canto is the evocative name of the pinnacle of Pegasus Bay Rieslings - a dry, full bodied, intensely aromatic and vibrantly refreshing wine. The grapes in this wine typically spent significantly longer on the vine to allow them to develop the broad array of grapey aromatic complexity, which brings candied mandarin, a note of honey and subtle white peachy notes, along with bold citrus zest to balance the finish, which is crisp in style with lingering flavours.
The residual sugar in the 2024 vintage of Bel Canto is 6.7 grams per litre; slightly higher than usual at around 5 grams, which shows through in this aromatic intensity and front palate.
19/20
2021 Pegasus Bay Virtuoso Chardonnay RRP $67
Virtuoso is the long awaited outstanding queen of white wines made at Pegasus Bay; the longest aged Chardonnay made at the winery which, in this case, also comes from an outstanding vintage. This full bodied, savoury, complex and full bodied Chardonnay was made from hand picked grapes which were harvested progressively and fermented with the grape's natural yeasts in French oak puncheons, 40% of which were new. This translates into a beautifully integrated, full bodied Chardonnay with creamy textural qualities and aromas of fresh goat’s cheese, almonds, cedar and spice. A great wine now but the 2021 Virtuoso will come into its own with ageing in bottle and can evolve favourably for at least five to six years.
17.5/20
2023 Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir RRP $58
The 2023 Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir is a complex, savoury Pinot Noir with lifted fruity aromas suggesting red plums and cherries and a slightly lighter style than the typically bold expressions of Pinot from this winery. Delicate aromas, firm smooth tannins and a lingering finish bring balance to this medium bodied wine from the Waipara Valley in North Canterbury
