Winemakers Collection Nelson 'Sweet Agnes' Riesling 2015 Sold out in NZ DOUBLE GOLD (94 Points): San Francisco International Wine Competition 2016, USA Vineyard: Seifried Brightwater vineyardSugar at Harvest: 38°Brix Date of Harvest: Mid April 2015pH of Wine: 3.03T.A of Wine: 9.7g/LResidual Sugar: 172g/LSuitable for Vegetarians and Vegans: Yes Our Brightwater vineyard is situated 15km from the coast and is sheltered from the south by the Richmond ranges. The "soil" is a combination of rocks and boulders, which is very hard on the farm equipment, but vital for holding the warmth of Nelson's sun and for ripening grapes. The Brightwater vines are grown in an extremely stony area of the vineyard, where water and nutrient levels are low. This helps us to restrict the plants vigour and to crop at low levels. To further enhance the aromatics we removed leaves to allow light penetration and air movement around the fruiting zone. Using 100% Riesling fruit, the grapes were hand selected at the peak of ripeness with a large portion of the fruit shrivelled and raisined, caused by natural dehydration.

The grapes were then gently pressed to release a very concentrated intensely flavoured juice. The sweetness level of the juice was 38° Brix. The grapes were picked, pressed and fermented in batches as grapes were selected during successive passes through the vineyard. The fermentation was initiated immediately and continued for about three weeks. best wine from turkeyDuring this time, the wine parcels were monitored and tasted regularly. best red wine with asian foodThe young wine was then blended and stabilised before bottling in July 2015. books for wine loversThe residual sugar in the wine is 172g/L.best wine bars village

The 2015 Sweet Agnes Riesling is concentrated and intense. Vibrant citrus notes together with luscious stonefruit characters come through on the nose. The palate is full and mouth filling with succulent moreish flavours of tangerine and luscious peach. Gorgeous acidity cuts through the palate and invites another sip. "Lifted pure lemon juice Riesling aroma with attractive zesty reduction. wine bar dc chinatownA delightful late harvest style with intense fresh fruit flavours and a vivacious sweetness that dances across the palate. best new wine bars londonVibrant acidity matches the beautifully balanced sugar.” Michael Brajkovich MW, December 2015. You must be 18 or over to access our website. Please confirm your age to enter.Sweetness and light: Best pudding wines INDULGE your sweet tooth with our expert’s pick of pudding wines

PHIn a world obsessed with calories, sweet wines have fallen out of fashion. If they’re served at all it’s with pudding, by which time they aren’t always appreciated. That’s a shame because they have so much to offer as apéritifs, as wines to be enjoyed on their own, or as a dessert course in themselves. And if you want to be more adventurous, there are also some great pairings of sweet wines with savoury foods to discover.The Ned Noble Sauvignon Blanc 2013, Marlborough, New Zealand £12.99 but £8.65 eachif you buy 2 bottles, Majestic, 10% alcohol, 37.5clPowerful, lively and lemony, this is a sticky, sweet wine with spicy apricot fruit countering the fresh citrus notes. Like many of the best sweet wines, it has balance, and it shows just what New Zealand can do.  (0800 280 2440), 13.5% alcoholCérons is a little-known sub-region of Bordeaux that makes great sweet wines. This one is mellow and smooth, with ripe pears, spicy peaches and some wax and lanolin notes.3. Morrisons Signature Premières Côtes de Bordeaux NV, France £6.49, Morrisons, 13% alcoholThis white Bordeaux shows flavours of honey, grapes, pears and spice.

It’s appealing and not excessively sweet, and would be good with fruit desserts or as an apéritif.4. Sainsbury’s House Dessert Wine NV, Germany £4, Sainsbury’s, 9.5% alcohol, 37.5clHere is a versatile, affordable dessert wine. Lively, fresh, fruity and tangy, its ripe apple and melon characters make for a pure and fruity white. Domaine de Pellehaut ‘L’Escoubasso’ 2012, France£11.99, Harrods, Cambridge Wine Merchants, Thos Peatling, 11% alcoholThis is a distinctive sweet wine made from the petit manseng grape, with lovely flavours of lemons, marmalade and grapefruit pith. It’s distinctive and delicious. 6. Crociani Vin Santo di Montepulciano 2008, Italy £19.49, Waitrose, 16.5% alcohol, 37.5clOrange/brown in colour, this wine has fabulous aromas of raisins, spice and old casks. It’s really intense and rich, with bold and complex flavours of cedar, raisin and roasted nuts. 7. Trius Showcase Canadian Icewine 2013, Niagara, Canada £24.99, Aldi, 11% alcohol, 37.5clThis is expensive, but for ice wine it’s a bargain.

For this style, the grapes must be harvested in winter at exactly the right time, when they are frozen on the vine, and that’s a costly business. The result is sweet, grapey and delicious, with spicy, lemony notes.Elephant Hill Merlot-Malbec-Cabernet Franc, 2013, Elephant Hill James Rogers Trophy 2015 (for best wine in the first year of production)A rich delicious Ruby Port. Abisso, Italian for “abyss” describes the deep rich color in this sweet red. This sweet dessert wine has the aroma of dried fruit, like plums and raisins and a smooth midpalate, finishing with hints of chocolate. Serving Suggestions: A great after dinner wine. Serve with bleu cheeses, nuts and dried fruits. Serve at room temperature.Alas, dessert wine too is a victim of industry writer fickleness, and finding time to fit it into your busy wine schedule between tawny port, Manzanilla sherry and grappa can be tough. Well for me, dessert wine is a constant joy, and the more traditional and recognised the better.

While it can be a little pricey, you certainly don’t need to be forking out for a Chateau d’Yquem when there’s some cracking Tokaji, non-vintage Sauternes and Aussie Muscats doing the rounds for about a tenner a bottle. But in terms of value for money, to my mind the sweet wines of Monbazillac are King – so I went there to discover the secret of this affordable and consistent product. Sitting haughtily on a hillside above the beautiful medieval city of Bergerac in the Dordogne region of France is the iconic wine village of Monbazillac. The hillsides are carpeted with vines rolling down to the Dordogne river a couple of miles away. It is one of the most glorious views in France. The best of the region’s grapes – the main ones being muscadelle, sémillon and sauvignon blanc, and all of which are harvested by hand once the noble rot has set in during the onset of the chill – can be found at the crest of this hill next to the Chateau. All the vines near the town are protected by the Monbazillac AOC (the acronym that ensures the wine is only available from grapes grown in that region), yet the Chateau’s own wines are the paragons of the style.

In the Chateau’s outlet I paid out €16 (appproximately £13) for a 500ml bottle of tempting Chateau Monbazzilac 2011. This incidentally would be a lot harder to get hold of, and therefore more expensive, outside of France, for this is a gold-medal-winning wine, and rightly so. The honeyed notes offset with a tinge of grapefruit and elderflower makes it a really enjoyable entry wine. It’s called dessert wine, pudding wine or sweet wine, but I really don’t believe in saving it for the end of your meal – go French, have it with your appetizer. It is a remarkable match for pates (especially something like Jamie’s Old-school chicken liver parfait). Otherwise, if you really must wait until dessert, then it crackles when taken with citrus flavours such as sorbet or a jelly. How about this clementine jelly together with a little piece of our Gluten-free citrus shortbread? Enjoy it responsibly, as it can come out a little bit stronger than your average wine – a small sherry schooner would suffice.