2018 Picnic Riesling

About the wine

Featuring the Proprietor’s Grandfather, Sydney Neill – Wine Merchant, on the label, Picnic Riesling is our perennial favourite and a wonderful introduction to the pleasure of Central Otago Riesling.  We think it is just as much a dinner wine as a luncheon – equally enjoyable at home outdoors, as at the Captain’s Table. Organically grown on two small blocks at Two Paddocks home vineyard (HQ), The Red Bank Farm & Vineyard, in Earnscleugh Alexandra. Hand harvested and crafted in to a delicious off-dry fresh style appealing to just about everyone on the planet…

Tasting Notes

Vintage Comment:

Two Paddocks 2018 harvest will be remembered as the earliest picking date on record. A warm spring that quickly turned in to a hot summer with much warmer night time temperatures than are typically experienced in Alexandra. Ideal conditions over flowering, which was a month early, began on the 20^th November. Again, perfect growing conditions meant veraison also began a month early on the 20^th January and then the extreme heat and dry finished abruptly on the 1^st February. Cooler temperatures over February / March thankfully slowed ripening down and intensified flavour development, but harvest still began nearly a month earlier than typical on the 14^th March and was over by the 11^th April.

Vineyard Management:

Own roots – cane cuttings from Felton Road. Single cane, one bunch per shoot and very close planted at 5500 vines per hectare.  Both shoot and lateral thinned to reduce crop load. Leaves that expose the grapes when ripening are also plucked off to increase sunlight exposure in to the vine canopy. Hand harvested on the 11^th April.

Winemakers Notes:

Pink grapefruit, lime zest, mineral wet stone aromatics gives way to a textural and zingy palate, showing bright citrus flavours and a great mouthfeel, finishing with an off dry lingering persistent finish.

Proprietor: Sam Neill   Viticulturist:  Mike Wing   Winemaker:  Dean Shaw 

Bottled: September 2018  Total Production: 665 cases   Cellaring: 2018 -2023

pH:  3.15       TA: 7.8 g/l      Alc:  13%     R/S: Off dry, 12-14g/L

$27.00