• Medium-sweet style
• Lemon curd
• Apple blossom
• Lively acidity

"Perfumed nose of white peaches, honeysuckle, apple blossom, lemon curd, marmalade and honey. Full-bodied and sweet, yet fresh, with sharp acidity and bright, zesty character. Excellent balance" James Suckling, Jamessuckling.com, Oct 2021

Upon release the colour is deep lemon. Delicate floral aromas of citrus blossom and jasmine rise to greet the nose, expanding to tropical notes of pineapple and lychee, with splashes of honey and ginger. In the mouth the wine is rich and multi-layered, its body and texture balanced with a refreshing tanginess through the mid to back palate. Charming sweetness is backed by lively acidity that ensures the wine remains clean and bright, with a long and rewarding close.

The vineyard is located within the Waipara Valley of North Canterbury, on free draining, north facing terraces. It benefi ts from being in the lee of the Teviotdale Range, giving maximum protection from the Pacifi c’s easterly breezes and thus creating a unique mesoclimate. The vines are over 30 years old, with a large proportion planted on their own roots. They are located on the “Glasnevin Gravels” where greywacke stones, silt and loam have been washed down from the mountains over the millennia. The soil is of low fertility, resulting in naturally reduced vine vigour. This produces low yields of optimally ripened, high quality, fl avourful grapes, which fully express the qualities of this unique terroir. The vineyard has warm days, but the nights are amongst the coolest in the Waipara Valley, drawing out the ripening period of the grapes, while still retaining good natural acidity.

Settled weather over flowering provided a healthy fruit set, which was then thinned back to desired levels. The ensuing summer was dry with very little rain, resulting in perfectly ripened small berries full of intense fl avour and concentration. Thankfully, our harvest was able to proceed during the C-19 lockdown, and an unbroken autumn full of warm days meant each variety was picked at its optimum ripeness.

Aria is part of Pegasus Bay’s reserve series and is the sister wine to our Bel Canto dry riesling. Both are only made in exceptional years that are favourable for the development of noble botrytis. After an extended hang time, the bunches were hand selected with a portion of between 30-50% botrytis and a ripeness of approximately 28 Brix. The grapes were then gently pressed, and the juice fermented slowly at cool temperatures to help the wine retain its vibrant fruit characters and varietal purity. At all stages, from fermentation to bottling, it was handled very carefully to help retain a little of its natural carbon dioxide. This has resulted in a small amount of spritzig, which adds extra liveliness to the wine and accentuates its freshness.

The Donaldson Family have been seriously involved in viticulture and winemaking for over 40 years. Founder Ivan Donaldson planted the fi rst Canterbury vineyard in 1976 and went on to establish Pegasus Bay in 1986 with his wife Christine. It is a true family business, with all four of their sons now involved.