Botrytis Riesling

Wonderful aperitif with paté or equally enjoyable at the end of a meal with a cheese plate or dessert; roasted pears with walnut and ginger

Heggies Vineyard is blessed with a number of different meso climates across the site, with slope and aspect giving significant variances. The vineyard parcel for the Botrytis Riesling almost chooses itself, situated on a gentle westerly slope with trees providing shelter on three sides and a dam forming the border at the base of the vineyard. These factors lead to more humid, still conditions, with morning fog that is perfect for the development of Botrytis cinerea. Eden Valley experienced its third dry winter in a row, with enough rain in spring to get the vines growing. The mild growing and ripening season was perfect for developing excellent fresh characters. Continuing dry weather in autumn delayed the onset of Botrytis. Our patience was rewarded in May as the inevitable morning mists set in. By early June the grapes were perfect, and harvested just before the long anticipated break to the season.

On every Heggies Vineyard bottle is the image of a man sitting on top of his horse and surveying the land before him. The man’s name is Colin Heggie a local grazier who was the original owner of the picturesque Eden Valley property before he sold it to his old friend Wyndham Hill Smith. Wyndham had an eye for great vineyard sites and he could see the potential for growing quality grapes on this magnificent sweep of country that had been grazing land for so long. Planting began in 1971 and the first Heggies Vineyard wine was released in 1979.