This Week's Wine Review.

Saint Clair Awatere Valley Reserve 2009 Noble Riesling

This week’s wine is worth considering if you want something to enjoy with your desert. In 2009, Saint Clair’s Blind River Riesling vines in the Awatere Valley experienced exceptional conditions for consistent botrytis infection, which is good news for those who enjoy sweet wines.

To be more specific, the grapes for this wine were sourced from Blind River Valley, a sub-region of Awatere Valley. The vineyard is on windblown alluvial soils with a clay base. The vines have been planted to run north to south and are on vertical shoot positioning trellising. The exceptional conditions for consistent botrytis infection meant that the fruit had a full concentration of flavours and sugars. Botrytis is be one of the very few things that growers are actually happy to have infecting their crops.

The grapes were hand harvested and whole bunch pressed before being tank fermented with selected yeasts specially selected to develop the noble Riesling characters. Fermentation was stopped when the winemaker determined an ideal balance was reached. The wine maintains high residual sugar but is balanced by fresh acid.

I found the Saint Clair 2009 Awatere Valley Reserve Noble Riesling to exhibit aromas reminiscent of stone fruit, citrus and dried apricot. On the palate, I found delicious flavours of honey, apricot and peach leading to hints of pineapple and citrus zest in the long, lingering finish.

This wine is drinking well now but will develop complexity over the next six to ten years. I would recommend trying it with fruit salad and cream. Alternatively it will go well with Apple or Apricot pie and whipped cream.

Reviewed by Stephen Clark (6/9/2010)