The Auswine Forum

Tasting Note No.19

A very good winery no doubt, winemaker Matthew Donaldson is very focused on the styles. Remembering now, I drove up to the winery in February 1999, only to find it closed for a function. Never mind, I'll visit Pegasus Bay again one day. In the mean time, I've really enjoyed these new releases.

This riesling is a lovely style, it's NOT a dry one and definitely NOT Australian in taste and character. ( Adair, if you remember the 2001 Dr.Loosen Riesling Kabinett from the Mosel, it's similar to that.) The mostly free run juice went through a slow fermentation to gain complexity and rich flavours. It was bottled in October 2002.
Colour bright clear with some hay. Fragrant nose of white nectarines, ripe lemons and exotic flowers. The palate is super smooth and friendly, a velvety ride of delicious fruity softness. This is one easy wine to drink! The finish is balanced by fine acid. This wine is like a cuddle in a bottle. Nice treat at AU $25. The Donaldson's believe it will cellar for 20 years or more.

2002 PEGASUS BAY Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon

A clear tribute to the dry whites of Graves. A very good effort. Fermented with natural yeasts, it then spent extended time on lees. The Sauvignon Blanc sat in stainless steel while the semillon had the malo-lactic fermentation experience taking place in old French oak. Expertly blended.
Colour bright with golden edges. Fresh mineral nose of gooseberry and lychees. Superb and silky palate of complex mineral characters, more stonefruits and some tropical fruits as well. Very smooth and concentrated. Nice finish. Drink now until 2009. Cost AU $25. A fair price for sure.

2001 PEGASUS BAY Pinot Noir

Not the best vintage, no reserve wine (Prima Donna) made this year. A medium bodied, decent Pinot with a dry and silky palate. Good length and nice cherry flavours but I wasn't inspired to buy at AU $45. Interestingly, Bob Campbell writes in the current (December) issue of Decanter magazine that 'This is the best to date'. Okay...it may be but I'm not convinced. In the November 15th edition of the Wine Spectator, Harvey Steiman gives 89 points to this one, making it 'Very Good'. Over in America it cost US $48. I guess it's a good buy for them at that price. Each their own. In my view it's a decent drop, that's all.

Tasted:November 2003.

Attila,


I recently tried the 2000 Pegasus Bay Riesling again and recommended it in my column for January in Golf Digest. Very Mosel in style,perhaps without the level of acidity that carries through on the best Mosels. The 2000 had a touch of botrytis evident,is this still the case in the 2002? A very nice wine,an interesting departure from the Oz style and quite good value at $22. I believe that the winery rates the 2000 edition of this wine quite highly.

Cheers

atilla,

what was the alcohol on the riesling? along the lines of a typical kabinet?

JWR

The 2000 was just under 11%

Attila wrote:Tasting Note No.19

2001 PEGASUS BAY Pinot Noir
Not the best vintage, no reserve wine (Prima Donna) made this year.

Attila,
There is a Prima Donna 2001. It's a terrific wine, a huge wine with lots of oak that's just starting to mellow. My latest notes say "Fragrant and floral aromatics, rich, ripe and powerful flavours with dark cherry, plum, voluptuous tannins and an intense creamy chocolate character on the finish that has amazing length".
It's been selected to represent Canterbury / Waipara at the formal regional tasting at Pinot Noir 2004 being held in Wellington at the end of January. It should show very very well at that tasting.

I love Pegasus Bay Rieslings. Have you tried the Aria?

Cheers,
Sue

This shows that one must be careful when being told by the wine rep at the tasting table that 'There is no 2001 Prima Donna' and in fact, after lovely Sue reports from NZ, I find out that there is. (Unfortunately the Aria wasn't available for tasting.)
Thank You and Cheers,
Attila