It wasn’t all that long ago that organically and biodynamically produced wines were often regarded as somehow inferior to their chemically supported cousins, but such is the quality of modern farming practices that the inference that “biodynamics” means “B-Grade”, seems lost forever.
An emerging example of the quality of organic viticultural practices is the Rock Ferry vineyard in New Zealand’s Marlborough region. I have to admit to being caught off guard by the appeal of their Rapaura 2011 Riesling which bears the certification of New Zealand’s ‘BioGro’ as a genuinely organic production. The nose presents typically tropical fruit and orange peel aromas but develops a stone fruit and guava personality as it moves across the palate before a lime explosion on the back end gives a clean crisp finale that sucks your cheeks in like an industrial strength vacuum cleaner.
It may be a little clumsy in places, but at $20 or so a bottle, you can’t expect perfection.
If ever biodynamics in viticulture needed an affordable pin-up boy to showcase its virtues, this may be it!
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