BABICH MARLBOROUGH RIESLING 2005

Overview:
The combination of fine days and cool nights typical of Marlborough during late summer/autumn is ideal for the later ripening Riesling. The result is beautifully scented wine with great balance between acid and alcohol.

Grapes: 
100% Riesling
 
Region:
Marlborough

Winemaker:
Adam Hazeldine

Recommended Food:An excellent partner to a wide range of foods, ideal with Asian dishes, or try it with mussel and kumara patties, drizzled with home-made lime-spiked mayonnaise.

Recommended Cellaring:
1-4 years

Production Notes:
Grapes were harvested at 22 Brix. The juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks to retain aromatic varietal character, with various different yeasts and at different temperatures. The ferments were stopped before completion to retain a level of natural sweetness. The young wine was left on its yeast lees until blending in late September.

Tasting Notes:
The aroma of orange blossom and red apple leap readily from the glass with just a hint of lime/citrus. The citrus notes move to the fore of the palate with green gauge and apple. A good acid backbone moderates the upfront sweetness and leaves the wine with a crisp dry finish.

Awards:
GOLD MEDAL
-Bragato Wine Awards, New Zealand, 2006

SILVER MEDAL
-Royal Easter Show Wine Awards, New Zealand, 2006

SILVER MEDAL
-International Cool Climate Wine Show, Australia, 2006

SILVER MEDAL
-San Francisco Wine Competition, USA, 2006

Reviews:
"Instantly attractive, this is a mouthfilling, ripely flavoured wine with grapefruit and lime characters to the fore, crisp and lingering. It's a tightly structured wine, likely to age gracefully."
4 STARS
-Michael Cooper, Cuisine Magazine, May 2006

"Nicely fine-tuned mineral style, dry and great as an aperitif or with early courses. The riesling fruit tones show well while young with plenty more opening up."
4 STARS
-Peter Saunders, Winestate Magazine, July, 2006

"Grown at Rapaura, 2005 vintage flavour-packed, richly scented medium body (12% Alcohol) strong lemony, appley flavours showing excellent purity and harmony, and a dryish (5 grams/litre of residual sugar) finish."
4 STARS
-Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide to New Zealand Wines, 2007