15 Minute Bottles Test Pots Riesling 2023

A delicious reminder not to pigeon-hole Riesling, this is rich in flavour and texture, with a dry, pithy, saline finish. It’s got the substance to hold up to the bold flavours of Malaysian, Indian and Moroccan food, but we’d very happily slurp on it without food. The fruit comes from a gravelly, organic vineyard by the river in Waipara. 60% is direct pressed, and the remainder is whole bunch fermented before aging in neutral oak.

 

15 Minute Bottles is a collaboration between two families, David Collins and Lana Kennett, and Tom Lascelles and Anne Kirsch. The project came about in Europe, when their paths crossed while Tom was working for Austrian natural wine superstar, Claus Preisinger. With both couples coming back to New Zealand in 2021, they saw an opportunity to produce here the style of energetic, approachable natural wines they’d loved in Europe. With one family based in Canterbury, and the other in Central Otago, their intention is to produce multi-regional wines that are unfined, unfiltered with minimal added sulphites. David best explains the reason behind their name, 15 Minute Bottles - 

“It’s rooted in the fun, energetic, thought provoking wine we fell for while in Europe. When we drank a banger, we would call it a '15 minute bottle' because it didn't hang around for long (enjoyed responsibly with a large group of friends of course)”.