Winemakers Collection Nelson 'Sweet Agnes' Riesling 2008 - Cellar Release

Trophy (International) - Decanter World Wine Awards 2009
Trophy (Regional) - Decanter World Wine Awards 2009
Gold Medal - Decanter World Wine Awards 2009
Gold Medal - Sommelier Wine Awards 2010
Gold Medal - Liquorland Top 100 2009
Gold Medal - New Zealand International Wine Show 2009
Gold Medal - International Wine Challenge 2009
Gold Medal - Japan Wine Challenge 2009
Blue Gold Medal - Sydney International Wine Competition 2009
Pure Gold Medal - Air New Zealand Wine Awards 2008
Silver Medal - AWC Vienna Wine Competition 2009
Silver Medal - New World Wine Awards 2009
Silver Medal - San Francisco International Wine Competition 2009

Vineyard: Predominantly Brightwater vineyard and small portion from Redwood Valley vineyard
Sugar at Pressing: 38°Brix
Date of Harvest: Late April - May 2008
pH of Wine: 3.28
T.A of Wine: 10.8g/L
Residual Sugar: 242g/L

The Brightwater vineyard was planted with Riesling in 1999. These vines are grown in an extremely stony area of the vineyard, where water and nutrient levels are low. This helps to restrict plant vigour and crop at low levels. To further enhance the aromatics we removed leaves to allow light penetration and air movement around the fruiting zone. The smaller portion comes from our Redwood Valley vineyard. This vineyard is unirrigated and is situated on a gently sloping, north-facing clay site; the vines range in age from 8 to 25 years. Vertical shoot positioning helps to expose the berries to sunlight, thus getting maximum intensity and optimal ripeness.

Using 100% Riesling fruit, the grapes were hand selected at the peak of ripeness with a large portion of the fruit shrivelled and raisined, caused by natural dehydration. The grapes were then gently pressed to release a very concentrated, intensely flavoured juice. The sweetness level of the juice was 38° Brix. The fermentation was initiated immediately and continued for about two and a half weeks. During this time, the wine was monitored and tasted regularly. The young wine was then filtered and stabilised before bottling in early September 2008. The residual sugar in the wine is 242 g/L.