| 2018 The Water Race Dry Riesling | 13.0% alcohol | $27.00 |
| 2018 Sauvignon Blanc | 13.5% alcohol | $23.00 |
| 2018 Pinot Noir | 13.5% alcohol | $40.00 |
Established in 2002, Domain Road is a reliable, no nonsense producer making a range of intelligent wines. At a time when everyone seems to be experimenting and pushing boundaries, owners Graeme and Gillian Crosbie are content to leave the winemaking to Pete Bartle, who adds just the right amount of character.
How to label riesling appropriately must be one of Life’s eternal struggles for those in a winery’s marketing department. Although labelled dry, the 2018 The Water Race Dry Riesling definitely has a touch of sweetness, more than perhaps we expected. But the wine is really very lovely with pretty floral blossom, wet stone and freshly squeezed lime juice aromas, whilst the palate has an attractive just-ripe apricot fleshiness to offset the mouth-watering acidity and there is that touch of sweetness too.
There are only 39 hectares of sauvignon blanc in Central Otago and Domain Road’s wine shows that with a little winemaking input, the region can make an alternative style, subtle rather than exuberant with a distinctive wet stone flintiness. The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc shows its cool climate origins with plenty of snow pea, elderflower and fresh asparagus. A barrel-fermented component that adds just a little extra interest and complexity by way of texture on the palate and a biscuity edge right on the finish. A restrained, subtle wine.
The 2018 Pinot Noir is textbook Bannockburn; opulent fruit moving towards the darker spectrum with doris plum and black cherry and a little anise and dried thyme. The palate is ripe with a silky background of tannin and a cinnamon nutmeg edge, thanks to some new French oak. Good stuff.
