Rippon, Rippon Mature Vine Riesling, Central Otago, 2018

From the Rippon vineyard on the stunningly scenic southern shores of Lake Wanaka, on land held by the Mills family since 1912, sited on an ancient volcanic ejection cone of schist gravels. Handpicked, sorted and gently crushed by foot, then whole-bunch pressed the following day and allowed to settle for 12 hours before being racked, retaining the fine lees, into a horizontal stainless steel fermentation tank, where it was fermented over 12 days using the natural wild yeasts. Low-toned for a Riesling, with aromas of baked lemon and tropical fruit more prominent above light petrol notes, though there’s a complexity here that’s enlivened by a touch of white smoke mineral. On the palate it’s nicely rounded too, revealing pleasantly peachy citrus fruit and tropical touches with a dash of mandarin on the finish. A highly drinkable, fruit-focused style that would work well on its own as an aperitif, or with hard cheeses or sheep’s cheese as a palate-lifter at the end of a meal.