Pegasus Bay is a family-owned estate in North Canterbury’s Waipara Valley, founded by the Donaldson family, pioneers of the region’s modern wine scene. With over three decades of winemaking experience, Pegasus Bay has established a reputation for producing complex, expressive wines that reflect both vineyard and vintage. Maestro is part of the reserve series of wines from Pegasus Bay and represents the best of their Bordeaux fruit. As with all their reserve wines, they are only made in exceptional years.
The 2020 ‘Maestro’ is a bold and captivating blend, marrying power with precision. In the glass, it reveals a deep, brooding purple hue. Aromatically, it leads with a rush of dark, savoury intensity, black forest fruits layered with earthy mushroom, aged soy, and hints of smoked game. Complex nuances of liquorice, eucalyptus, mixed spice, and tree moss enrich the bouquet, giving it both intrigue and gravitas. On the palate, the wine is robust and muscular, with a coiled energy that unfolds into bold tannins and vibrant acidity. This formidable structure is balanced by decadent fruit weight and seamless concentration, lending the wine breadth and a richly textured mouthfeel. The finish is expansive and persistent, carrying through savoury detail and spice.
The vines used for ‘Maestro’ are grown on free-draining, north-facing terraces in the lee of the Teviotdale Range, which shelters them from harsh coastal winds and fosters a unique mesoclimate. The vineyard’s stony “Glasnevin Gravels” soil, composed of greywacke, loam, and silt, limits vine vigour and encourages low yields of intensely flavoured fruit. These conditions, coupled with warm days and some of the valley’s coolest nights, result in a long, even ripening period, allowing the Bordeaux varietals to develop full phenolic ripeness while retaining fresh acidity. Many vines are over 35 years old and remain planted on their own roots, contributing depth and authenticity to the wines.
