2024 Pegasus Bay Estate Riesling – Aromatic, balanced, and complex from Waipara, New Zealand

This Riesling from the family-owned Pegasus Bay winery in the Waipara Valley is among New Zealand’s finest white wines. The 2024 vintage benefited from a long, warm summer with cool nights—perfect conditions for slowly ripened, intensely aromatic grapes with a brilliant acidity profile. An elegant Riesling with a distinct terroir, lively fruit, and a delicate effervescence—typical of the cool-climate wine region of North Canterbury.

The vines are over 35 years old and ungrafted. They grow on the famous “Glasnevin Gravels,” a terroir of gravelly alluvial soil with low fertility—ideal for characterful, complex wines with excellent aging potential. The Donaldson family has been running the winery for nearly 40 years and is now in its second generation.

What makes the Pegasus Bay Riesling from Waipara so special?

The combination of old vines, gravelly soils, a cool climate, and Pegasus Bay’s distinctive house style is what makes this Riesling so unique. The wine is allowed to ripen on the vine for an extended period (“hang time”), sometimes with noble rot (Botrytis), and is aged particularly gently in stainless steel tanks. Some of the natural carbonation is retained—this gives the wine its characteristic effervescence. A multi-award-winning Riesling with aging potential and plenty of personality.

And how does the 2024 Pegasus Bay Estate Riesling taste?

On the nose, intense aromas of mandarin, pineapple, honeydew melon, and citrus blossoms unfold, complemented by green apple, kaffir lime leaf, and Asian spices. On the palate, the wine offers a lively, silky texture, a subtle residual sweetness (25 g/l), and invigorating acidity. An elegant minerality runs through the profile, while the natural effervescence lends freshness and energy. The finish is long, clean, and structured—a Riesling with excitement and depth.