Auburn Wine Reviews
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2009 Vintage
Bob Campbell MW
2009 Auburn Twilight Riesling (93/100 - 5 Stars)
"Small production Riesling (242 bottles) from 16 year-old vines in the Lowburn district. Originally selected to be a late-harvest style, the wine appears slightly sweeter than the Lowburn label despite having a tad less residual sugar. Lower acidity and higher alcohol could explain the difference. Intriguing wine with ripe stone fruit, mineral and subtle spicy flavours. Very impressive and distinctive Riesling."
2009 Auburn Lowburn Riesling
"Medium Riesling, at least on paper, although the wine has a fairly chalky, drying finish. Good
fruit weight with stone fruit, mineral and delicate floral (rose petal?) characters. Smooth textured, classy wine with serious cellaring potential."
Jane Skilton MW
"I was impressed by the obvious attention to detail these wines have received; carefully crafted winemaking and very smartly presented... An intriguing and compelling duo from a name to watch with interest."
2009 Auburn Twilight Riesling
"Very pure aromatics with a thread of tropical fruit at the front; papaya, mango and peach but then fresh lime and tangerine cut in too. A restrained touch of botrytis adds another layer. Tastes marginally richer than the Lowburn, despite having a weeny bit less residual sugar, though there is still the almost savoury thread of mineral acidity cutting through. Great length."
2009 Auburn Lowburn Riesling
"Strong mineral thread in addition to chalk, satsuma and fresh lemon. Very pure and linear with surprisingly good concentration and depth for so delicate and subtle a wine."
Jane Skilton - Wine NZ Magazine
2009 Auburn Twilight Riesling
"The arrival of yet another producer into Central Otago isn’t particularly big news. But Auburn Wines have made a splash by producing single vineyard Rieslings, not Pinot Noir, in tiny quantities and of a very impressive quality.
"The ’09 Twilight has only 10% alcohol, but rather than be fashioned in the ‘German’ style, has much more in common with the wines of Austria. Good density of flavour, succulent quartz-like acidity and opulent flavours of papaya, fresh lime, acacia honey and ripe apple. Rich and sumptuous with a little residual sweetness to balance the tight acidity, this wine would cellar beautifully for 5-8 years. But unfortunately such is its attractiveness in youth, I doubt very much whether many bottles will survive to a ripe old age."
Sue Courtney - Wineoftheweek.com
2009 Auburn Twilight Riesling
"...is gorgeous, Light gold in colour with aromas of tropical fruit and sweet citrus and a honeyish palate, it is sweetish, nectar-like, with great depth of tropical / citrus fruit and great acid tension to balance the sweetness and hints of spicy zest (ginger-like, almost) coming forth on the finish. Texture, viscosity and mouthfeel just perfect - it reminds me a little of the Mt Difficulty Target Gully Riesling 2009 that I gave 5 stars to recently. This style of Riesling, when well made, as this one is, always seduces me and this had me swooning in ecstasy."
2009 Auburn Lowburn Riesling
"...is light in colour and immediately the impression is tighter and racier with concentrated yet soft lime and lemon flavours and even greater tension and nerve. The texture has a slight oily character, there's a nuance of nectar-like sweetness and a distinct earthy / pithy character to the finish that, because of the acidity, gives the wine a dry steely finish. Far too young, but I can envision how this would be in five years time. If you can get hold of a bottle and put it away in your cellar, you will have obtained a first release of one of Central Otago's new stars."
Sue Courtney - Wineoftheweek.com
Best Newcomer Winery of 2010 – Auburn Wines
Sam Kim - Wine Orbit
2009 Auburn Twilight Riesling (91/100 - 4.5 Stars)
"This is a magnificent wine from a new venture focusing on one grape, Riesling. Grapes were grown in the Lowburn district (16-year-old vines), and both clean and botrytised grapes were harvested. The nose is striking and beautifully lifted displaying mandarin, floral and honey characters. It's lush and succulent on the palate showing appealing sweetness (28 g/l) which is brilliantly balanced by the lemony acidity. The wine feels opulent yet remains fine and refreshing. At its best: now to 2014."
2009 Auburn Lowburn Riesling (93/100 - 5 Stars)
"This is sleek and gorgeous. No botrytised grapes were used in this wine, whole-bunch pressed, lightly settled and fermented at cool temperatures. The nose is bright and pure, displaying lemon, grapefruit and chalky mineral characters. It's refined and delicate on the palate with seductive sweetness (31 g/l) and seamlessly integrated acidity providing both structure and length. A wine to watch! At its best: now to 2015."
Gary Walsh - Wine Front
2009 Auburn Twilight Riesling (92/100 - drink 2010-2015)
"These wines are not available for sale in Australia, but will be from the next vintage onwards. They come to me via a bloke I know who's a keen fancier of off-dry riesling, so keen in fact, that he's gone off and made a few himself, in partnership. Living the dream - and good on him for that! ...
"Apple, spice, cumquat and apricot nectar with a floral mineral Character - perhaps like baby oil. It has excellent weight and a lightly viscous and grippy texture. Acidity cuts but does not intrude, and it feels sweeter than it's sibling that has higher residual sugar, but pulls very dry and minerally on the finish. Has a lot of character. It's quite different to German and Australian off-dry styles, and offers an intriguing point of difference. Not quite sure how it will age, but it's pretty good now."
2009 Auburn Lowburn Riesling (91+/100 - drink 2012-2018+)
"...There’s a faint whiff of sulphur and then apple, lemon blossom, mineral and citrus. It’s tight and rippling with clean acidity and has something of an austere minerally edge. Does not feel especially sweet, and while you sense (or know) that it’s off-dry, the acidity plays tricks on you, and tells you otherwise. That’s a good sign and one that indicates good balance. Certainly pulls crunchy and tangy on the finish with a dry lemon barley aftertaste. I’d say this one has a few more tricks to play, given a bit more bottle age."
Jo Burzynska - New Zealand Herald
2009 Auburn Twilight Riesling
"BRIGHT DEBUT. Would that the world discovers our rieslings, which are getting better by the vintage. This impressive inaugural release from Auburn is low in alcohol and high in flavour, running the spectrum from heady florals, apricots and spice through tangy grapefruit with a wonderfully slaty undercurrent."
Jo Burzynska - Wine NZ Magazine
2009 Auburn Lowburn Riesling
"For the Riesling fan on your list, this limited edition wine is one of the impressive inaugural releases from the new Riesling focused venture, Auburn, which in the coming years plans to make small quantities of this long lived variety from each sub region of Central Otago.
"Made from 16 year old vines in a sweeter, low (9%) alcohol style, it’s structured with a seductively silky citrus acidity, supporting delicate notes of blossom and apricot over an intensely slaty undercurrent. Just 760 bottles were made."
Garth Gallaway - Avenues Magazine
"Recently, I heard three friends have formed Auburn Wines, based in Lowburn, Central Otago. They have a mutual love of riesling and have decided to focus solely on this varietal. It’s courageous to focus solely on one grape; even more so if riesling is the choice. I love the variety of styles and the quality of the rieslings produced in this country and abroad, but New Zealanders do not share the rest of the world’s appreciation of the varietal. This is a delicious, innovative and commendable approach and, if the two wines sampled in this tasting are anything to go by, drinkers should be in for a treat."
2009 Auburn Twilight Riesling
"Beautifully named, this wine has a soft mouth-feel, stone fruit flavours and is elegant and inviting. It’s also a little unusual (fruit harvested sweet, made dry) and the winemaker says it will only be made occasionally. The lack of acidity makes this riesling ideal as an aperitif."
2009 Auburn Lowburn Riesling (Garth’s Pick)
"A terrifically clean and refreshing riesling, this is made in a lighter style (only 9 per cent alcohol). Its nose is attractive and the flavours are dominated by nectarine, peach and citrus. An excellent first vintage, with the promise of more fine wines to come."
Quick Quotes
2009 Vintage Reviews
Bob Campbell MW
"...Very impressive and distinctive Riesling..."
"...serious cellaring potential..."
Jane Skilton MW
"...Very pure aromatics..."
"...surprisingly good concentration and depth for so delicate and subtle a wine..."
Sue Courtney - Wineoftheweek.com
"...it reminds me a little of ... that I gave 5 stars to recently..."
"...had me swooning in ecstasy..."
Sam Kim - Wine Orbit
"...magnificent wine..."
"...sleek and gorgeous... A wine to watch! ..."
Gary Walsh - Wine Front
"...offers an intriguing point of difference..."
"...has a few more tricks to play, given a bit more bottle age..."
Jo Burzynska - New Zealand Herald
"...impressive inaugural release from Auburn..."
Garth Gallaway - Avenues Magazine
"...A terrifically clean and refreshing riesling..."
"...delicious, innovative and commendable approach..."