THE FAMILY The Donaldson Family have been seriously involved in viticulture and winemaking for almost 50 years. Founder Ivan Donaldson planted one of Canterbury’s first vineyards in 1976 and went on to establish Pegasus Bay in 1986 with his wife Christine. It is a true family business, with the second generation now actively involved. THE VINEYARD AND VINES The vineyard is located within the Waipara Valley of North Canterbury, on free draining, north facing terraces. It benefits from being in the lee of the Teviotdale Range, giving maximum protection from the Pacific’s easterly breezes and thus creating a unique mesoclimate. The vines are close to 40 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, flavourful 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. THE SEASON 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 flavour and concentration. Thankfully, our harvest was able to proceed during the C-19 lockdown, and an unbroken autumn full of warm days meant the fruit was picked at its optimum ripeness. THE HARVEST AND WINEMAKING We use the traditional French variety of Muscat (Muscat à petit grain). There are very few rows in our vineyard, so only a small volume of this wine has been made. After picking, the grapes were gently pressed, with only the free run juice being used. The wine was tank fermented to preserve varietal integrity, and slowly matured over four months, until a perfect balance was achieved. Prior to release, the wine was left to age in bottle for several years, allowing it to integrate further. THE WINE It has a radiant lemon hue and flaunts luscious aromatics. Richly fruited and enticing, the nose explodes with notes of white fleshed peach, apricot, and lemon curd, underlain with elderflower, linden blossom, honeysuckle, and spicy hints of ginger and nutmeg. Full-bodied on the palate with fruit, alcohol and ripe phenolics all contributing to mouthfeel and flair. Its off dry style is beautifully balanced by crisp acidity, an elegant structure, and a bittersweet touch on the close.
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