Rippon Vineyard - Riesling Mature Vines 2020 (750ml)

The Rippon vineyard site has been in the Mills family for four generations. The story began in 1912 when Sir Percy Sargood bought a high-country station on the western flanks of Lake Wanaka, spanning all of what is central Wanaka today. When he died, much of the land had to be sold to cover death duties. Thirty years later, Percy’s grandson Rolfe was a submarine lieutenant in the Second World War. While on duty, Rolfe spent some time off the Atlantic coast of Portugal. The schist slopes of the Douro valley reminded him of home and sparked the first beginnings of an idea.

After the war, Rolfe returned to the family import/export wine business. It wasn’t until 1975, thirty years after his time in Portugal while running the farm as an angora goat stud, that he and his wife Lois decided to plant some experimental vines. Seeing that they had taken, the family – Rolfe, Lois, and their three children– moved to France for a year to try their hand at winemaking.

They returned to New Zealand and in 1982 began the commercial planting of the 15ha (approximately 37 acres) that today comprise Rippon. At the beginning, around 30 varieties were planted, including Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer which are today their flagship grapes. Lois and Rolfe Mills are recognized as part of the ‘first five’ pioneers of the modern Central Otago wine industry. Their son, Nick Mills, has been winemaker for Rippon since 2003.

A warm & productive summer put plenty of flesh on this wine. The fruit is issued from Rippon’s mature vines, whose root hairs have invaded the schist rock below. Lurking towards the end of the first mouthful is substantial phenolic power and it soon starts to take charge of the wine… and give it its sense of place

The 2020 Mature Vine Riesling is different again. Maybe I can't walk into this Riesling with any preconceived notions about the flavor. It has a tight, compact, lithe, crystalline, floral (almost talc-y) countenance. The wine fills the mouth, then hits the back palate with flavor and drive. I like this so much, but it may be the outlier. The acidity is pert and even a little frisky. Brilliant energy. 

The 2020 Riesling Mature Vine is a succulent and tranquil medium-dry style. It has rounded shoulders and an ample figure held together and given reassuring shape by a structure of acidity and tannin. It's already drinking well now with its sweet apple succulence, subtle floral characters and lees-derived cream-filled pastry notes that linger on the appetizing, lengthy finish. This is a wine that could calm the most frenzied.