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B-21 Top Recommendation
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"Harmony is a word that oozes out of the 2023 Mature Vine Riesling ... This is elegant and poised. There's no need to wait—it's already delightful." - Rebecca Gibb, Vinous
Central Otago's Rippon is unequivocally a "grand cru" New Zealand estate by any measure, their Pinot Noirs representing the very top echelon of the country's offerings in that category. However, that same incredible pedigree, from vineyards to winemaking, also goes into their estate Mature Vine Riesling. If you're wondering what New Zealand can do with Riesling, this one is here to tell you, it can punch with the heavyweights.
The estate's schist soils provide a fantastic terroir basis for this wine, as Riesling truly does thrive in this type – indeed some of the best examples in the world come from schist/quartzite soils, and the 2023 Mature Vine shows why. Loads of complexity inform both the nose and the palate, while the textural intensity is everything that great Riesling should be. As Rebecca Gibb of Vinous puts it, "the 2023 [is] varietally classic, but balance and structure elevate it."
We've seen some truly compelling Rieslings come from Australia over the years, but now you can add New Zealand, and Central Otago specifically, to the list of unlikely but excellent sources of stunning expressions that will thrill even the most seasoned connoisseurs of this noble varietal. |
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Mineral and fruit-driven aromas of candied lime zest, gunsmoke, orange blossoms and slate. The medium-bodied palate has a laserlike acidity and generous texture from 10 g/L of residual sweetness, giving notes of lemon tart, grapefruit pith, mandarin peel and red-apple skin. A slight phenolic edge from one day on the skins lingers on the long-lasting finish. Drink or hold.
95 points, James Suckling (Nov 2024)
The 2023 Rippon Mature Vine Riesling leads with dandelion and beeswax, white flowers and saffron, lanolin and brine. In the mouth, the wine is sleek, but the tail opens out to expose a wake of chalky phenolics. These provide grip and chew, and they are most welcome; it's a textural wine. The wine typically carries between eight and 12 grams of residual sugar per liter, and it carries it well—this year, it has 10.8 grams. 12% alcohol, sealed under Diam.
93 points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate (Jun 2025)
Harmony is a word that oozes out of the 2023 Mature Vine Riesling. A juicy squeeze of residual sugar acts as the perfect counterpoint to the glacial pure Alpine acidity: this makes the drinker feel totally welcome while finishing with a definitive flourish of a conductor's baton on the final note. Lemon mousse, ripe green apple and white floral notes make the 2023 varietally classic, but balance and structure elevate it. This is elegant and poised. There's no need to wait—it's already delightful.
93 points, Rebecca Gibb, Vinous (Mar 2025)
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