Auburn Wines - Central Otago Riesling Wine of New Zealand
Auburn Wines of Central Otago

Previous Auburn Wines

2012 Auburn Northburn Riesling [SOLD OUT]

Sourced from 13yo vines in the subregion of Northburn. Clean fruit, no botrytis, gently whole-bunch pressed. Lightly settled in tank, racked off solids and fermented cool. Bottled August 2012. Alcohol 11%, pH 2.83, TA 8.6g/L, RS 36g/L. Production 878 bottles.

A bright, clean, youthful nose, abundant with lemon, lime, white flowers and pithy apple hints. Mineral and spice are interwoven through a palate of juicy citrus, augmented by a fine, lithe backbone of fresh acidity. The finish is long, infused with lime zest and ending refreshingly crisp. A great match for oysters, though you may find the bottle empty before the food arrives.

2012 Auburn Bannockburn Riesling [SOLD OUT]

Sourced from 14yo vines in the subregion of Bannockburn. Clean fruit, no botrytis, gently whole-bunch pressed. Lightly settled in tank, racked off solids and fermented cool. Bottled August 2012. Alcohol 11%, pH 2.95, TA 8.1g/L, RS 34g/L. Production 870 bottles.

Youthful and intense, boasting an amalgam of citrus and floral characters, a hint of stonefruit and an undercurrent of minerality. Medium-bodied, the layers of concentrated, varietal citrus are assuaged by a textural spine of limey acidity that provides drive and persistence on the finish. The more masculine, generous counterpart to the Northburn.

2012 Auburn Lowburn Riesling [SOLD OUT]

Sourced from 15yo vines in the subregion of Lowburn. Clean fruit, no botrytis, gently whole-bunch pressed. Lightly settled in tank, racked off solids and fermented cool. Bottled August 2012. Alcohol 10.5%, pH 2.97, TA 8.0g/L, RS 45g/L. Production 881 bottles.

More exotic and lifted aromas of ginger and nutmeg complement a bouquet of honeysuckle, lime and mandarin; already complex, exhibiting the trademark spices of Lowburn. Racy acidity provides wonderful tension and buoyancy on the palate, cutting through the slippery texture to a polished, nervy and lengthy finish. Perfect with a pad thai, fish curry or similar Asian cuisine.

2012 Auburn Bendigo Riesling [SOLD OUT]

Sourced from 7yo vines in the subregion of Bendigo. Clean fruit, no botrytis, gently whole-bunch pressed. Lightly settled in tank, racked off solids and fermented cool. Bottled August 2012. Alcohol 9.5%, pH 2.87, TA 8.5g/L, RS 62g/L. Production 851 bottles.

Brimming with citrus, lifted florals, hints of garden herbs and a schist, mineral purity. The palate is lush with a slight spritzig, swathed in lemon, lime, tangerine and grapefruit, focused by a core of crunchy acidity judiciously balanced by the residual sweetness. Elegant, streamlined and seamless; the Rolls Royce of Rieslings. A phenomenal match for slow-cooked pork belly.

2012 Auburn Aura Riesling [SOLD OUT]

Sourced from 14yo vines in the subregion of Bannockburn. Mostly clean fruit with 20% botrytis, foot-stomped and allowed 12hrs of skin contact. Gently pressed, lightly settled in tank, racked off solids and fermented cool. Alcohol 10.5%, pH 3.03, TA 8.4g/L, RS 72g/L. Production 402 bottles.

Opens with a veritable fruit basket of citrus, stonefruit and tropical spectrum fruit, accompanied by honey, orange blossom and musky spice. Made in an Auslese (later harvest) style, the textural richness, weight and body is cleansed by a veil of citrus acidity that echoes softly on the finish. Ideal partner for an after-dinner cheese plate or apricot tart.

2012 Auburn Shining Dawn Riesling [SOLD OUT]

Sourced from 14yo vines in the subregion of Bannockburn. 100% dried, shrivelled botrytis berries; bunch selected in the vineyard and sorted again at the winery. Foot-stomped, 12hrs of skin contact, then pressed. Allowed to settle, racked off solids and fermented cool and long. Alcohol 6%, pH 2.82, TA 17.3g/L, RS 320g/L. Production 239 half-bottles.

Playfully nicknamed the Electric Monster, this is Riesling at its most hedonistic, supercharged expression. The aromatic profile is far-reaching; from super-ripe citrus, to tropical fruits, to crème brulee, honey, vanilla and caramel. Exotic, rich and intensely sweet, the viscous, mouth-coating sweetness would seem overbearing if not for the virile, primal force of kinetic acidity that penetrates and cuts through the monumental mouthfeel. The finish is very, very long. A special, unique wine that we will have great difficulty replicating in the future.

2012 Auburn BDG Riesling [SOLD OUT]

Sourced from 7yo vines in the subregion of Bendigo. 100% dried, shrivelled botrytis berries selected in the vineyard. Foot-stomped, left to soak for five days of skin contact, then pressed. Allowed to settle, racked off solids and fermented cool and long. Alcohol 5.5%, pH 3.07, TA 13.3g/L, RS 322g/L. Production 156 half-bottles.

The slightly more elegant, refined and understated juxtaposition of the Shining Dawn, the BDG still possesses a smorgasbord of fruit and unnaturally high levels of acidity, sugar and viscosity. The nose – ever-changing as it is – shows candied orange, lime, peach, dried apricot, sweet pastry, baking spices, marmalade and more. Unctuous, decadent and palate-filling in the mouth, the mellifluous texture is escorted by a fine thread of acid drive that helps cleanse the sweet finish. Long, lingering and luscious, the BDG is an experience all of its own, but a great union is to be had by partnering it with glazed nuts, dried fruits and nougat.


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2011 Auburn Alexandra Riesling [SOLD OUT]

Sourced from 11yo vines in the subregion of Alexandra. Clean fruit, no botrytis, gently whole-bunch pressed. Lightly settled in tank, racked off solids and fermented cool. Bottled August 2011. Alcohol 9.5%, pH 3.04, TA 6.5g/L, RS 15g/L. Production 729 bottles.

Stripped of leaf from bitterly cold southerlies in early April, this was our last vineyard to harvest as we waited a full month longer to eek out all ripeness. Classic Central citrus with hints of spring blossoms, lime oil and bath salts. Lighter bodied, dainty and playful in the mouth, with a fresh, crisp finish. Fashioned like a Feinherb, this elegant Riesling is equally at home quenching one’s thirst or partnered with fresh seafood.

2011 Auburn Bannockburn Riesling [SOLD OUT]

Sourced from 13yo vines in the subregion of Bannockburn. Clean fruit, no botrytis, gently whole-bunch pressed. Lightly settled in tank, racked off solids and fermented cool. Bottled August 2011. Alcohol 10.5%, pH 2.91, TA 8.0g/L, RS 47g/L. Production 821 bottles.

A bright, shiny debut from this high altitude vineyard on the Cairnmuir Terraces. Lime, orange, pith and mineral – already showing considerable aromatic complexity and harmony. Juicy, textural and zingy all at once, with concentrated citrus and a hint of spice. A medium-style Riesling that hides coyly behind a curtain of ripe, natural acidity.

2011 Auburn Bendigo Riesling [SOLD OUT]

Sourced from 6yo vines in the subregion of Bendigo. Clean fruit, no botrytis, gently whole-bunch pressed. Lightly settled in tank, racked off solids and fermented cool. Bottled August 2011. Alcohol 10.0%, pH 2.88, TA 8.3g/L, RS 64g/L. Production 785 bottles.

Fresh and primal, boasting apple, citrus and stonefruit buoyed by a floral perfume. Pure, crisp and clean, a tad exotic, a little silky and taut. A wine that chases the elusive tension of Riesling, with a rousing chord of acidity, sweetness, texture and concentration ringing of Spätlese.

2011 Auburn Lowburn Riesling [SOLD OUT]

Sourced from 18yo vines in the subregion of Lowburn. Combination of clean and botrytis fruit, gently whole-bunch pressed. Lightly settled in tank, racked off solids and fermented cool. Bottled August 2011. Alcohol 11.5%, pH 3.00, TA 8.9g/L, RS 48g/L. Production 760 bottles.

The decision was made to include the noble botrytis when harvesting Lowburn, which constituted about a quarter of the fruit and contributes to its richer hallmark. Orange and yellow fruit, a splash of lime, pear and quince. Exotically spiced with ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. A later harvest, with the botrytis presence makes this the richest, most exotic of our sub-regional portfolio; a superb match for Asian cuisine.

2011 Auburn TBA Riesling [SOLD OUT]

Sourced from old vines in the subregion of Lowburn. 100% dried, shrivelled botrytis berries picked individually by hand over nine passes in seven weeks. Pressed over two days, settled, racked off solids and fermented long and cool. Scheduled to be bottled November 2011 with figures only estimates: Alcohol 6.0%, pH 3.1, TA 9.5, RS 300g/L. Production 60 half-bottles.

This was a labour of love. If our selfish, evil alter-ego had its way, this wee collection would be foraged away for private consumption. But share we must. TBA alludes to the acronym for German Trockenbeerenauslese, which translates to dried, berry selection. Just 25L of viscous, meade-like juice was procured and then coaxed into ferment, which occurs very, very slowly. The nose carries a melange of dried and tropical fruit, the texture mellifluous, the finish and length far-reaching. It’s a rare, special wine, to treat yourself on a befitting occasion; a thimbleful goes a long way.

2010 Auburn Alexandra Riesling [SOLD OUT]

Sourced from 10yo vines in the subregion of Alexandra. Clean fruit, no botrytis, gently whole-bunch pressed. Lightly settled in tank, racked off solids and fermented cool. Bottled October 2010. Alcohol 10.5%, pH 3.00, TA 7.5g/L, RS 45g/L. Production 740 bottles.

Super primary and floral, showing lots of lemon, lime and apple with an intriguing hint of spice. Citrus flavours abound on the palate, with a round, full texture kept lively and buoyant by mouth-watering acidity. Finishing crisp, it’s a fresh and pure Riesling that screams Central Otago.

2010 Auburn Lowburn Riesling [SOLD OUT]

Sourced from 17yo vines in the subregion of Lowburn. Clean fruit, no botrytis, gently whole-bunch pressed. Lightly settled in tank, racked off solids and fermented cool. Bottled October 2010. Alcohol 10.5%, pH 3.04, TA 7.2g/L, RS 64g/L. Production 746 bottles.

Rich and voluminous, immediately apparent with the shift to yellow spectrum fruit; orange, peach and tangerine. Layers of juicy citrus and stone-fruit unfold, the palate tensioned with intense concentration juxtaposed by spine-tingling acidity. Cleansing, bold and serious, she is a Riesling of the vintage, true to her site.

2010 Auburn Aura Riesling [SOLD OUT]

Sourced from 12yo vines in the subregion of Bendigo. Combination of clean and botrytis fruit, foot-stomped and left to soak overnight, gently whole-bunch pressed, settled in tank, racked off solids and fermented very cool. Bottled October 2010. Alcohol 8.5%, pH 3.14, TA 6.7g/L, RS 104g/L. Production 277 bottles.

A veritable fruit bowl of tropical goodies assail the senses; pineapple, mango, passionfruit, apricot nectar and more. Lush and luxurious, the slippery mouthfeel complements the honeyed fruit with a hint of cinnamon. Underpinned by youthful freshness and verve, make no mistake, this is a sweet wine with big fruit, big acid and big presence – strap in.

2009 Auburn Lowburn Riesling [SOLD OUT]

Sourced from 16yo vines in the subregion of Lowburn. Clean fruit, no botrytis, gently whole-bunch pressed. Lightly settled in tank, racked off solids and fermented cool.

Bottled October 2009. Alcohol 9.0%, pH 3.03, TA 8.2g/L, RS 31g/L. Production 760 bottles. Floral and fruit-driven, particularly apricot/peach and lemon/lime. The palate echoes the nose, with a taut, youthful backbone of acidity that complements the residual sweetness.

Finely textured, the structure leads to a long, precise finish. It will take six months in bottle before this wine truly integrates and from then, enjoy and cellar at your leisure.

2009 Auburn Twilight Riesling [SOLD OUT]

Sourced from 16yo vines in the subregion of Lowburn. Combination of clean and botrytis fruit, gently whole-bunch pressed and returned to press to soak overnight. Lightly settled in tank, racked off solids and fermented very cool.

Bottled October 2009. Alcohol 10.0%, pH 3.21, TA 7.7g/L, RS 28g/L. Production 242 bottles. Aromatic and lifted, there is a combination of stonefruit and citrus on the nose, leading to exotic spice notes. Lots of viscosity and honey notes, finishing surprisingly dry.

This is an interesting wine, an example of a spatlese trocken (fruit harvested sweet, made dry) that we initially planned as a dessert wine, but the microbes had other ideas. This is not a stereotypical Riesling and a wine that we will only make in certain years.

Best enjoyed as an aperitif or even with roast pork.