2023 Boneline Hellblock Riesling

"Delicate notes of apple blossom, nectarine, honeysuckle, lime zest – with mineral undertones. On the palate – intense lime, zesty mandarin and ripe red apple. Bright acidity brings freshness and balances with generous fruit sweetness. These two aspects are accentuated by the natural spritz retained from fermentation which provides lift in the mid-palate. The reprise is long and lingering with a satisfyingly crisp cleansing texture."

"Very pale gold. Highly perfumed, high-toned nose with roses and lily of the valley. The palate is sweet, light and racy with a saline edge and balancing phenolics that bring the mid-weight citrus and apple flavours to a tapered, mineral and pithy finish. A powerful mid-palate just bursting to get out, this has a honeyed marmalade edge which will add spice to the palate in the coming years."

"From vines grown on a river terrace that is, apparently, as hot as hell during summer, which must be why it tastes so intense on the old Riesling citrusy flavour front. That delish' bite of crisp acidity is what really drives my tastebuds wild, and creates a nervy core of interest in each sip of this lovely new wine from North Canterbury. The wine is made from grapes grown on 25 year old vines grown downstream from the White Gorge, which is carved out of terraces on the south bank of the Waipara River. Its makers, Tutton, Sienko and Hill, all say that they picked the grapes prior to sunburn to avoid phenolic development; for non-wine heads, that is another way of saying that they have avoided over ripeness, which can (in Riesling) lead to some strong aromas that can polarise people just a tad. This wine is driven by an intense lemon taste and really is a very fresh, youthful, yet-to-develop style that has great flavour intensity and a long life ahead."