Auburn Wine Reviews
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2012 Vintage
Jo Burzynska - NZ Herald, Top 50 Wines of 2013
2012 Auburn Shining Dawn Central Otago NZ Riesling
"CREAM OF THE CROP: Auburn is unique in New Zealand in making wines solely from riesling. This one-eyed focus has resulted in stunning wines such as this superb sticky. Although it weighs in at just 6 per cent alcohol, there's huge concentration to this botrytised version, which exhibits hedonistic notes of honey, apricot, creme brulee and a powerful lemony acidity that balances its considerable sweetness."
Bob Campbell MW - Gourmet Traveller Wine (Best Buys $30 and Under)
2012 Auburn Bendigo Central Otago NZ Riesling
"Auburn claims to be the only winery in New Zealand to specialise solely in Riesling. All Riesling lovers must take an interest in this exciting new winery which made its first wine in 2009. This is a thrilling Riesling with classic energy and tension. Flint, mineral, fine citrus, grapefruit, anise, stone fruit and a hint of fresh herb flavours. A suggestion of sweetness is beautifully balanced by fruity acidity. The texture is ethereal and the finish lengthy. Great now but has a promising future."
Jane Skilton MW - Appetite AsiaMagazine
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Tyson Stelzer - Qantas Magazine
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John Saker - Sunday Star Times
2012 Auburn Bannockburn Central Otago NZ Riesling
"From a Central Otago winery that is all about Riesling comes this very lovely wine: lanolin and chamomile flavours, a taut acid line and a dryish, minerally finish provide a sublime mouthful. Try it with lightly spiced Mexican."
Gary Walsh - Winefront
2012 Auburn Bannockburn Central Otago NZ Riesling
"Tasted through the range of Auburn 750ml size wines last night – Northburn, Aura, Lowburn, Bannockburn, Bendigo – which come from a range of different vineyards and sub-regions, and are 'interpreted' by the winemaker, Max Marriot, with use of residual sugar being his biggest tool. This Bannockburn was maybe my favourite, tasting through them quickly to get a fix on relative quality/qualities, and is a total production of 870 bottles. 34g/L residual sugar here. More slatey and mineral driven with some floral aromatics, lime and spice and a spritzy, vigorous palate that balances sugar and acidity to perfection. Very long lime juicy finish of mouthwatering intensity and excitement. Fairly crackles with energy and it's a cracking wine to boot. Drink 2013-2028. 95 Points."
2012 Auburn Aura Central Otago NZ Riesling
"Total production of 402 bottles. 72g/L residual sugar. Honey and nougat, almost pineapple, and certainly plenty of sugar here and the viscous texture that comes with it, but the cut of acid is excellent; layers of tropical succulence and bracing acidity working well together. Has some lime and talc and perfume in there and even a suggestion of something like rosemary. Noted the flavour of Disprin, which could just be me, and I like that flavour anyway. Very long crunchy finish. Yum plus. Drink 2012-2018+. 95 Points"
2012 Auburn BDG Central Otago NZ Riesling
"Total production of 156 half bottles containing 322 g/L residual sugar. Full botrytis. Honey, cumquat, intense ginger spice and mixed citrus. It's viscous, intense and sweet, but also savoury with it – acidity cuts it back but does not make it painful or jarring. Lime and spice. Slippery entertainment for the mouth. Obviously long. Delicious. Beautiful composure and a sense of 'completeness'. Drink 2013-2022+. 95 Points"
Other scores sans notes:
Shining Dawn 95-96; Northburn 92; Lowburn 94; Bendigo 93-94
Emma Jenkins - MW
2012 Auburn Lowburn Central Otago NZ Riesling
"The striking delectable wines of this Central Otago specialist Riesling producer will have you swooning with pleasure. The Lowburn is fragrant and luscious while its precise backbone of steely acidity ensures it finishes clean, leaving you wanting more..."
Bob Campbell - MW
2012 Auburn Northburn Central Otago NZ Riesling (5 stars)
"A very Germanic style of Riesling in a Kabinet or perhaps Spaetlese style. An initial suggestion of sweetness with orange peel and stone fruit characters changes to become drier with a stronger citrus, spice and floral influence. A wine with many shades and nuances promoting drinkability. Absolutely delicious!" 94 points
2012 Auburn Bannockburn Central Otago NZ Riesling (5 stars)
"An appealing combination of flinty/mineral and citrus flavours with lusher stone fruit characters. Medium Riesling with a perfect balance of tangy acidity preventing any suggestion of cloying. An initial tease of lusciousness leads to a long and mouth-tingling finish. A class act." 93 points
2012 Auburn Lowburn Central Otago NZ Riesling (5 stars)
"An initial impression of lusciousness is tamed by fruity acidity to produce medium to medium/dry finish in this technically slightly sweet wine. Lime zest and chalk/mineral with hints of ripe pineapple, citrus and a suggestion of rose petal. Delicious Riesling with impressive purity and an ethereal texture." 93 points
2012 Auburn Bendigo Central Otago NZ Riesling (5 stars)
"This is a thrilling Riesling with classic energy and tension. Flint/mineral, fine citrus/grapefruit, spice/anise, stone fruit and a suggestion of fresh herb flavours. A suggestion of sweetness is beautifully balanced by fruity acidity. The texture is ethereal and the finish lengthy. Great now but with a fascinating future." 96 points
2012 Auburn Aura Central Otago NZ Riesling (5 stars)
"Moderately sweet Riesling with a subtle honeyed character suggesting some botrytis influence. Quite a complex wine with nuances of mineral, peach, grapefruit and mixed spices. A rich, intense and full-flavoured wine that's delicious now but should offer good drinking at least in the medium term." 94 points
Jo Burzsynka - NZ Herald & The Press (CHCH)
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" 'Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilised,' observed the sage gourmet and wine scribe, Andre Simon. With the season of significant dining shortly upon us, it's time to break out the wines that befit these special celebrations.
Yuletide certainly came early for me this year as I tasted some of the most exciting current releases. Here's a selection of the bottles that proved most impressive and well suited to festive fare, which should contribute to some deliciously civilised Christmas dining...
Auburn Bendigo Central Otago Riesling 2012
Riesling is the only variety Auburn makes and boy has this focus resulted in some of the finest examples in the country. This release from Bendigo may be low in alcohol - at just 9.5 per cent - but it has an amazing intensity in its pristine palate that juxtaposes white peach, jasmine and grapefruit zest with a powerful line of mineral. Though it's a sweeter style, its racy acidity makes it finish fabulously fresh.
Festive food match: Riesling is one of the most versatile grape varieties when it comes to pairing with food and I always ensure I have a variety of styles to hand. As well as its low alcohol making this example a genteel aperitif or luncheon wine, it will suit dishes from fresh fruit-based desserts to slow cooked pork belly, as well as working well with spicy dishes. "
Sam Kim - Wine Orbit
2012 Auburn Bannockburn Riesling (5 stars)
"Beautifully poised, this is an exquisite riesling displaying white peach, lemon zest, floral and candied apple notes on the nose. The palate is light yet concentrated with appealing sweetness (34 g/l) which is perfectly balanced by the bright acidity, finishing superbly long and fine. At its best: now to 2020." 95 points
2012 Auburn Northburn Riesling (5 stars)
Youthful and full of promise, the bouquet shows lemon/lime zest, flint, apricot and floral notes. It's succulent and mouth-watering on the palate with stunning intensity and harmony, finishing linear and extremely long. The apparent sweetness seems less than 36 g/l, indicating the wine's superb concentration and balance. At its best: now to 2020." 95 points
2012 Auburn Lowburn Riesling (5 stars)
"It's seemingly sweet and luscious yet finishes bright, crisp and refreshing. The engaging bouquet shows ripe apple, stone fruit, floral and flinty notes. It's powerful and generous while remaining delicate and structured with excellent sweet (45 g/l)/acid balance, leading to an exceptionally long delicious finish. At its best: now to 2020." 95 points
2012 Auburn Bendigo Riesling (5 stars)
"It's restrained on the nose displaying flint, candied apple, lemon zest and a touch of floral characters. The palate is pure and refined showing outstanding focus and intensity with lovely sweetness (62 g/l) and racy acidity, finishing extremely long and seamless. The wine needs time - what a gorgeous beauty it will be. At its best: 2014 to 2022." 97 points
2012 Auburn Aura Riesling (5 stars)
"This is awesome. It's succulent and weighty with loads of delicious flavours - yellow peach, mango, mandarin and floral - backed by a concentrated and structured palate. It's elegantly sweet (72 g/l), silky through the mid palate, and crisp to the finish. No hard edges, just full of delights. From the Bannockburn district. At its best: 2014 to 2022." 97 points
2012 Auburn Shining Dawn Riesling (5 stars)
"There's honey on the nose and honey on the palate. A superbly luscious sweet wine with staggering 320 g/l residual sugar, yet the wine doesn't appear out of balance. Rather, it's saturated with tasty honey, marmalade and dried apricot flavours with racy acidity, making the wine irresistible. What a treat. From the Bannockburn district. At its best: now to 2026." 98 points
2012 Auburn BDG Riesling (5 stars)
"It doesn't get much sweeter, more opulent, more intense and tastier than this. The bouquet is gorgeously complex showing manuka honey, tropical fruit, marmalade and subtle spice notes. It's outrageously sweet on the palate (322 g/l) with beautifully pitched acidity countering the sweetness and richness, finishing gratifying and almost endless. At its best: now to 2026." 98 points
Tyson Stelzer - Wine Press
2012 Auburn Bendigo Riesling
"With a production of less than 300 dozen in total across the entire range of seven rieslings, you'll need to get in very, very fast. From a north-facing slope in the warmest part of Central Otago, there's a generosity to this wine in layers of golden delicious apples, oranges and figs, pulling into a finish of grapefruit, lemon and impressively poised acidity that draws out very long and seamless. There's depth and generosity of baked apples and mixed spice, yet it pulls in refreshingly crisp and honed on the finish, with impressive expression of natural acidity and gentle minerality. Drink: 2012 to 2022." 95 points
2012 Auburn Aura Riesling
"The hallmark of Auburn, uniting its rieslings from all parts of Central Otago, is a house style of consistent acid definition, always drawing the finish in clean and balanced, regardless of the level of sweetness of the cuvée in question. Never has this been more marked than in the pristine 2012 season, a vintage that required no acid addition in any wine. An early picked botrytis harvest has yielded a tightly defined acid profile that instils an internal harmony, in spite of loads of sweetness (72g/L). It's packed with all the luscious concentration and exotics you could wish for: star fruits, figs, golden delicious apples, tropical fruits and exotic spice. A sweet riesling with a sense of confidence all of its own. Only 402 bottles were made. Please form an orderly queue. Drink: 2012 to 2022." 95 points
2012 Auburn Bannockburn Riesling
"With a production of 870 bottles, this is one of the larger production wines for a brand described more as a passionate hobby than a profitable business by its owners. Their fanaticism is evident in every riesling they make, exemplified in an impeccable balance of acidity and sweetness. Painstaking avoidance of botrytis-affected fruit makes this a clean and primary style, yet lacking nothing in exotic, lush complexity. There's gardenia perfume, lemonade, grapefruit, star fruit and golden delicious apples, with an undercurrent of fine minerality, a long-lingering persistence and a crisp lemon/lime close. Drink: 2012 to 2022." 94 points
2012 Auburn Shining Dawn Riesling, 375 ml
"Shining Dawn announces the dawning of a new era in New Zealand riesling. I doubt the country has ever seen a wine quite like this. Indeed, it should not be possible. With a sweetness of 320g/L and an acidity of 17.3g/L (double that of many dessert wines), the Auburn crew repeated the measurements in disbelief – its sheer numbers are off the scale for anything less than full-on trockenbeerenauslese and ice wine – the ultimate extremes of the most highly prized riesling dessert wines. It's even more incredible that everything is natural here, thanks to 100 percent botrytis. Monumental fruit concentration, extreme sweetness and unfathomable acidity all leap and bound to outdo each other, ultimately settling into a balance of surreal proportions. An ice pick of pure lime juice impales its juicy viscosity with a shard of brittle acidity. For its freak harvest statistics, it's remarkable that this wine was fermented at all, let alone with such clean precision. It's layered with exotic complexity of all kinds, yet with a fresh purity of lime zest and granny smith apples. Don't dare open it for at least fifteen years, and it may just live forever. Drink: 2027 to 2052." 96 points
2012 Auburn BDG Riesling, 375 ml
"At an unctuous 322g/L of sweetness, very few dessert wines of such proportions are able to get through fermentation without developing the telltale off-characters of stressed out yeast. BDG is amazingly clean and pure in spite of its figures, which must be credited to proprietor Dave Paterson's experience with making ice wine in Canada's Okanagan Valley. It's layered with beautifully succulent apricots, juicy peaches, ginger nut biscuits, brioche and baked apples, with an energetic core of pure lime zest and lime cordial. It maintains great intensity and effortless balance at every moment. Just 156 half bottles of this brilliant, alluring and enticingly focused sweet wine were made. Drink: 2017 to 2032." 95 points
Joelle Thomson - Drinks Biz
SOUTHERN SENSATION
2012 Auburn Northburn Riesling
"With about 30 grams residual sugar, this wine is far from dry but its light bodied style, beautiful balance of acidity and lingering finish give it a wonderful drinkability."
2012 Auburn Northburn Riesling
"A relatively sweeter style but thanks to relatively brief skin contact during winemaking, the texture of the wine is light; giving balance to the luscious flavours. An angel of a wine."
Huon Hooke
2012 Auburn Bendigo Riesling
"Light yellow/green colour. Subdued, subtle herbal and stone fruit aromas, less fragrant than some other Auburn wines; 'crushed rock' too. It's intense and fine in the mouth with taut, firm structure and moderate sweetness, delicacy and softness. Very harmonious. A very refined, juicy and delicious wine. Gorgeous Kabinett style. Drink 2012-2022." 95/100
2012 Auburn Bannockburn Riesling
"Light yellow/green colour. Mineral and honeysuckle aromas, some buttery and 'struck flint' aspects. Delicate, juicy palate with light but evident sweetness, lime leaves and juicy delicacy. The finish remains slightly sweet and succulent with tangy acid undercurrents. Sugar and acid jarring shrillness. Drink 2012-2020." 91/100
2012 Auburn Shining Dawn Riesling
"Full golden colour. Aromas of lightly browned toast with butter and honey. Very sweet in the mouth with elevated acidity and a hint of sourness, but it will be better with food, and with time. Hints of toffee, vanilla and citrus compote. Delicious aromas and flavours. This has real potential. Drink 2012- 2018." 93/100
2012 Auburn Northburn Riesling
"Very light yellow colour. Quartzy mineral aromas, some hints of honey and limey leaves, very crisp and taut. Very minerally. The palate is just off-dry, with an underplay of acidity beneath the sweetness. Juicy, but it has a hint of hardness. Very pleasant wine; better in a year or two. Drink 2014-2022." 90/100
2012 Auburn Lowburn Riesling
"Light yellow/green colour. Lovely honeysuckle and peach nectar aromas. Semi-sweet palate. Intense and even shows some richness on the mid-palate. Sweetness and fruit are superbly balanced with the acidity. Powerful honey and lime. Very fine, lovely wine, with years ahead of it. Drink 2012-2022." 93/100
2012 Auburn BDG Riesling
"Deep yellow colour. Slightly muffled aromas of vanilla, toffee and chocolate. Honey and peach as well. Rich and lively on the palate with lots of sweetness and good acidity. Fine and lingering: an excellent wine. Gorgeous citrus and honey flavours. Great line and purity. Impressive stuff. Drink 2012-2018." 95/100
2012 Auburn Aura Riesling
"Mid-yellow colour. Sulfurous and honeyed on the nose with malt and butter notes. Smoke, honey and tealeaf notes suggest some botrytis on the fruit. Rich and slightly sweet in the mouth: off-dry, full and flavoursome. Long finish, and very satisfying. Sweetness and honeyed flavour persists. Delicious. Drink 2012-2022." 95/100
Raymond Chan
Max Marriott is besotted by Riesling grown in Central Otago. With two business partners, and Max living in the region, he began crafting limited quantities (approx. 70 dozen each) of individual, single-site, terroir and sub-regional distinctive Rieslings from the 2009 vintage. From the start, Max's fanatical detail in vineyard work and vinification of small parcels has resulted in a remarkable series of wines that have quickly gained cult status among a growing band of Riesling and fine New Zealand wine aficionados. Following the use of the Packspur winery, then using the facilities at the Central Otago Wine Co., Auburn Wines is now based at Rockburn, though sourcing fruit from different districts. Max's philosophy is "hands-off", allowing the wines to attain a "natural balance". Having worked in the Mosel, it is not surprising that Max produces wines that bear more than a passing resemblance to the wines of that region. However, for Max, it is about expressing Central Otago. In the 2011 release, I rated the 'Bendigo' Riesling 5-stars and 20.0/20 points. The 2012 wines are reviewed here, and Auburn continues the Central Otago and 'light-associated' names for the sweeter wines. Again the Auburn wines have shown brilliantly. These are wines to seek out.
2012 Auburn Bannockburn Riesling (5 stars)
"Bright, even, pale straw colour with slight green hues. The nose is fresh with firm, intense aromas of lime fruit, apples, minerals and wet stones, building in power, depth and volume, the aromatics classically pure in expression. Medium to sweet to taste, this is a fulsome wine on palate with solid and voluminous flavours of limes and honey, the fruit with real weight and presence, the flavours truly mouthfilling, yet extremely fine in texture. The underlying acidity balances the softness with subtle tension and the flavours flow to an open, accessible finish with floral and honeyed flavours and honied nuances that linger. A medium-sweet Riesling that is full, soft textured and gently rich, opening to show great presence and accessibility. Match with Middle Eastern and Asian fare over the next 6-8+ years." 19.0/20
2012 Auburn Bendigo Riesling (5 stars)
"Bright, very pale straw colour with slight green hues, pale on edge. This has a very tight, concentrated nose with a detailed amalgam of limes and citrus fruits, exotic florals, herbs, rainwater, and slate-like minerals. Sweet to taste, elegant, very intense flavours of citrus fruits, honeysuckle and florals are juxtaposed with beauty and balance, with great precision, and are supported by very fine, racy acidity providing cut and poise through the palate. The mouthfeel is very fine in texture and the lacy acidity with knife-edge tension and slipperiness. The flavours of florals, honey and minerals flow to a very long and sustained soft finish. A sweet Riesling with exceptional poise and beautifully detailed, complex, exotic floral and minerally flavours. Serve as a aperitif or with fruit desserts over the next 8-10+ years ." 20/20
2012 Auburn Lowburn Riesling (5 stars)
"Bright, pale straw-yellow with slight green hues, pale on rim. The bouquet is fresh, tight and poised with fine lime fruit aromas with minerals, flinty complexities and hints of talc that unfold in waves. Sweet to taste, the sugar is wonderfully balanced by crisp, racy acidity, allowing rich lime, floral and honeysuckle flavours form a subtle core and positive line. This has understated concentration and s roundness to the mouthfeel, enlivened by the acidity, The palate reveals complex, funky flint and mineral notes with honey, that carry through to a tightly bound, very long finish. This is a complex, fine and delicately featured, funky, sweet Riesling with plenty of crispness to keep 7-9 years. Serve as an aperitif and with Asian cuisine." 19.0-/20
2012 Auburn Northburn Riesling (4 stars)
"Bright, very pale straw-green colour, near colourless on rim. The nose is very soft and elegant in expression and builds in volume showing white florals and minerals, along with subtle lime and green apple aromas, complexed by delicate sweet and sour notes and nuances of flint. Medium in sweetness, the flavours of limes, white florals and minerals are soft and reserved, still very tightly bound. The mouthfeel is very fine and soft in texture, underlined by refined and discreet acidity which emerges to carry the subtle, growing flavours to a very long and sustained finish, highlighting detailed nuances of citrus fruits and steely minerals. This is a very fine, softly textured, medium Riesling with reserved and gentle floral and minerally flavous that will develop greater complexity and interest over the next 7-9+ years. Serve with antipasto and seafood." 18+/20
2012 Auburn Aura Riesling (5 stars)
"Auslese style, fruit from Bannockburn with approx. 20% botrytis, given skin contact. Brilliant straw-yellow colour with slight golden hues, pale on rim. Rich, ripe yellow florals are interwoven with honied botrytis aromas and raisiny elements with density and soft concentration on nose. Sweet to taste, this is soft and gently fulsome on palate, rounded in texture with subtle lusciousness and unctuousness. Exotic yellow florals, tangerines and mandarins are integrated with honey notes. The acidity is discreet and allows the flavours to open out with breadth, coating the palate, yet there is freshness and underlying energy. The flavours flow smoothly to a soft, rich and mellow finish. This is a beautifully soft, mouthfilling sweet Riesling with an array of citrus and honied flavours. Serve on its own as a conversation wine or with fruit desserts over the next 6-8 years." 18.5+/20
2012 Auburn Shining Dawn Riesling, 375ml (5 stars)
" 'Shining Dawn' is the literal meaning of 'Aurum', the Latin word for 'gold'. 100% botrytis-affected fruit from Bannockburn, foot-stomped and given 12 hours skin contact. Brilliant, light golden yellow, full in colour with depth. Powerful and intensely penetrating aromas feature on bouquet, packed with boldly ripe citrus and tropical fruits, raisins, honey and marmalade, unfolding caramel and toffee nuances. Intensely sweet, the sugar is matched by equally intense and bracing acidity. This is extremely unctuous and viscous in texture, but the acidity is searing and balanced in cut, providing sensational tension. Powerful flavours of ripe citrus fruits, marmalade, raisins and honey merge with toffee and burnished caramel notes make a strong statement and are carried by the elevated acidity to a sweet, decadent, slippery finish. This is a fully botrytised, exotic statement dessert wine with extreme sugar and acid levels. Serve as a meditation wine or as a liqueur over the next 8-10+ years." 19/20
2012 Auburn BDG Riesling, 375ml (5 stars)
" 'BDG' is an acronym representing "Bend, Dig, Go", the colloquial belief to the name 'Bendigo'. 100% botrytised fruit from Bendigo, foot-stomped and given 5 days skin contact. Bright, light golden-hued straw colour, lighter on rim. The nose is subtle and refined, still tight and with much to unfold. Aromas of citrus fruits, marmalade, soft talc botrytis reveal nuances of caramel and raisins forming a complex amalgam that gently fills the bouquet. Fully sweet and unctuously rich, this is extremely soft flowing, near seamless in texture, with very fine acid tension underlining the palate line. Gently expansive flavours of citrus, white florals, marmalade and honey are interwoven and harmoniously presented with beautiful detail. The balance and refinement is the feature of the palate which leads to a very long and subtly nuanced, decadent finish. This is a superbly refined and subtly decadent botrytised Riesling dessert wine to serve with most desserts and blue cheeses, or on its own, contemplating the joys of life." 19.5/20
Joelle Thomson - Dominion Post
"It is a looking glass which accurately reflects and exposes the naked splendour of any vineyard and vintage," says Peter Gago, when talking about riesling. While Gago is better known for his blockbuster red wines – he's the chief man at Penfold's in Australia – his description of riesling echoes the thoughts of Central Otago winemaker Max Marriott. Now into his fourth year of making riesling in the deep south, Marriott is putting his money where most winemaker's mouths are; he's New Zealand's only winemaker dedicated solely to riesling. While riesling may not enjoy the same amount of space in this country's vineyards as sauvignon blanc, chardonnay or pinot gris, it remains the sixth most planted grape. And, as these zesty top five show, the best Kiwi rieslings are pushing new boundaries of taste, without breaking the bank."
2012 Auburn Northburn Riesling
"Max Marriott works as a grape grower by day and a riesling fanatic by night so it was in the dark hours that he made 823 bottles of this wine with its low-ish 11% alcohol and lime zest flavours. If you're looking for the perfect drink with Thai food, here it is."
Jo Burzynska - Wine NZ Magazine
"From this relatively new Riesling-only venture comes one of the country's finest dessert wines to date. Although carrying just 6% alcohol there's huge concentration to this botrytised Riesling, which exhibits hedonistic notes of honey, apricot, crème brulee and an intense lemony acidity that balances its considerable sweetness."
Yvonne Lorkin - Dish Magazine
"The only way this mind-bogglingly good Lemon Curd Croissant Pudding could be any more luxurious is if it were sitting beside a glass of the Auburn Shining Dawn Riesling 2012 (375ml, $55). Take a sip from one of only 239 bottles made and ready yourself for one of the most intensely exotic taste experiences out there: toffee, marmalade, caramelised stonefruit and a surge of bracing acidity. Amazing."
John Hawkesby - New Zeland Herald
2012 Auburn Lowburn Riesling
"Riesling has a small loyal fan base but still remains a fairly difficult sell in New Zealand. A pity, as when it is done as well as Central Otago's Riesling specialist, Auburn, it's arguably the finest of all white grape varietals. This one is sourced from 15-year-old vines in the sub-region of Lowburn and is simply magnificent. With exotic aromas and flavours of ginger, nutmeg, honeysuckle, lime and mandarin, this wine is designed with Asian cuisine in mind. A tiny production but worth seeking out."
Bob Campbell - Your Home and Garden Magazine
2012 Auburn Northburn Riesling
"Auburn is a riesling specialist much loved by devotees of the variety. One sip of this delicately luscious wine and I hear a celestial choir singing the 'Hallelujah' chorus."
Quick Quotes
2012 Vintage Reviews
Jo Burzynska - NZ Herald Top 50
"... CREAM OF THE CROP..."
Bob Campbell MW - Gourmet Traveller Wine
"... texture is ethereal and the finish lengthy..."
Jane Skilton MW - Appetite Asia Magazine
Tyson Stelzer - Qantas Magazine
John Saker - Sunday Star Times
"... very lovely wine: lanolin and chamomile flavours..."
Gary Walsh - Winefront
"... vigorous palate that balances sugar and acidity to perfection...Yum plus..."
Emma Jenkins - MW
"...striking delectable wines...leaving you wanting more..."
Bob Campbell - MW
"... An initial tease of lusciousness leads to a long and mouth-tingling finish. A class act..."
Jo Burzynska - NZ Herald
"... some of the finest examples in the country..."
Sam Kim - Wine Orbit
"...wine's superb concentration and balance..."
"...powerful and generous while remaining delicate and structured..."
"...racy acidity, finishing extremely long and seamless..."
"...No hard edges, just full of delights..."
"...irresistible. What a treat..."
Tyson Stelzer - Wine Press
"... a generosity to this wine in layers of golden delicious apples, oranges and figs, pulling into a finish of grapefruit, lemon and impressively poised acidity that draws out very long and seamless..."
"... a new era in New Zealand riesling..."
"... It's even more incredible that everything is natural here, thanks to 100 percent botrytis..."
Joelle Thomson - Drinks Biz
"... An angel of a wine..."
Huon Hooke
"... intense and fine in the mouth with taut, firm structure..."
"... finish remains slightly sweet and succulent with tangy acid undercurrents..."
"... Great line and purity. Impressive stuff..."
Raymond Chan
"... the flavours truly mouthfilling, yet extremely fine in texture..."
"...
A sweet Riesling with exceptional poise and beautifully detailed, complex, exotic floral and minerally flavours..."
"...
superbly refined and subtly decadent botrytised Riesling dessert wine..."
Joelle Thomson - Dominion Post
"... If you're looking for the perfect drink with Thai food, here it is..."
Jo Burzynska - NZ Wine Mag
Yvonne Lorkin - Dish Magazine
"... one of the most intensely exotic taste experiences... Amazing..."
John Hawkesby - Canvas Magazine
"... when it is done as well as ... Auburn, it's arguably the finest of all white grape varietals ..."
Bob Campbell - Your Home and Garden Magazine
"... One sip of this delicately luscious wine ... a celestial choir singing the 'Hallelujah' chorus..."