Our allocation of Sato L'atypique Riesling 2023 is always limited, and it always sells out. Sato L'atypique Riesling 2023 is a skin-contact Riesling from the Red Shed Vineyard in Bendigo, Central Otago. The grapes spent 28 days fermenting on their skins, so it is an orange wine. The wine has citrus, medicinal herbs and white pepper, and it suits anyone curious about Riesling made a different way.
L'atypique is French for "the atypical", and the name fits. Sato's winemaking notes describe this Riesling as rich but delicate. The aromas on the nose lead with citrus, then medicinal herbs and a dusting of white pepper.
Only 2,654 bottles were made, according to Sato's winemaking notes. It is one for the adventurous Riesling drinker, and for anyone who already enjoys orange wine and wants to try one from Central Otago.
It stands out because of how it is made. Most Riesling is pressed straight away, so the juice never sits with the skins. Here the grapes were destemmed and left to ferment on their skins for 28 days, the way a red wine is made. That gives the wine more colour, texture and grip than a standard Riesling.
What it tastes like
This wine has aromas of citrus and medicinal herbs, with a hint of white pepper.
On the palate it is rich but delicate. The 28 days on skins give it a textured feel, while the older oak stays in the background.
Style at a glance
- Body: rich but delicate
- Skin contact: 28 days, which makes it an orange (skin-contact) wine
- Oak: 11 months in French oak barrels, none of them new, so there is no obvious oak flavour
- Style: skin-contact, herbal, citrus, peppery
Food to enjoy this with
Skin-contact whites have the texture to handle food that would overwhelm a lighter white. Good matches include:
- Roast pork with fennel
- Chicken tagine with preserved lemon and green olives
- Salt and pepper squid, which picks up the white pepper in the wine
- Grilled halloumi with herbs
- Aged hard cheeses such as a mature cheddar
- Japanese pickles and miso-glazed eggplant: the grip from the skins stands up to salty, fermented flavours that can make a pressed white taste thin
Who makes it
Sato is the work of Yoshiaki (Yoshi) and Kyoko Sato. They met in 1998 while working for a Japanese bank in Tokyo, and spent more than 10 years in banking in Tokyo and London. In 2006 they moved to New Zealand to study viticulture and winemaking at Lincoln University. Both started their wine careers at Felton Road under Blair Walter. Yoshi went on to make wine at Mount Edward from 2009. That was also the year of the first Sato wine: 190 cases of Pinot Noir. Kyoko spent 12 years at Felton Road before joining Sato full-time in 2018.
Their training also took them to natural and biodynamic producers in Europe, including Jean-Pierre Frick in Alsace, Jean-Yves Bizot and Domaine Matassa. At Sato every fermentation runs on wild yeast. No sulphur is added during winemaking, and only a trace (10 to 15 parts per million) goes in just before bottling. About 60% of the wine comes from their own vineyard. The rest comes from organically farmed vineyards in Bannockburn and Bendigo.
About the vintage
Sophie Preece's 2023 vintage report on Central Otago quoted consultant viticulturist Timbo Morrison-Deaker, who described it as the third exceptional season in a row under the influence of La Niña. The final 4 weeks brought a sharp change, and frost fighting was back for the first time in about 3 years. Berries were larger than usual, which lifted yields.
Sugars at harvest came in lower than expected, and natural acidity (malic acid, the tart acid in green apples) higher. Timbo still expected 2023 to be seen as a stellar vintage.
James Suckling found that 2023 performed exceptionally well in the South Island. In his 2024 New Zealand vintage report he named Sato among the excellent wineries of Central Otago, saying its "current releases, mostly 2023s, are excellent."
Technical details
| Winery: |
Sato Wines |
| Wine: |
L'atypique Riesling |
| Vintage: |
2023 |
| Variety: |
Riesling |
| Region: |
Red Shed Vineyard, Bendigo, Central Otago |
| Country: |
New Zealand |
| Alcohol: |
12.8% |
| Oak: |
11 months in French oak barrels, no new oak |
| Fermentation: |
Wild yeast, destemmed, 28 days on skins |
| Closure: |
Screw cap |
Where to buy
For international delivery to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, the Sato L'atypique Riesling 2023 is available from our winenz.com website. For delivery within New Zealand, buy it from thewineryonline.co.nz. You can also buy it at our Queenstown and Arrowtown stores, alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine. On both websites and in both stores you can build a mixed case from a large range of wines, and if you are visiting from overseas, we can ship it home for you.
Questions we are often asked
Is Sato L'atypique Riesling 2023 an orange wine?
Yes. Sato L'atypique Riesling 2023 fermented on its skins for 28 days, which is what makes a white wine an orange, or skin-contact, wine.
What does L'atypique mean?
L'atypique is French for "the atypical". Sato uses the name for its skin-contact Riesling and Pinot Gris.
Where do the grapes for Sato L'atypique Riesling 2023 come from?
The grapes come from the Red Shed Vineyard in Bendigo, Central Otago, which has alluvial sandy loam soils over river gravels. They were hand-picked on 27 March 2023.
How much Sato L'atypique Riesling 2023 was made?
Sato made 2,654 bottles of L'atypique Riesling 2023, bottled on 10 April 2024 without fining or filtering.
Does Sato L'atypique Riesling 2023 contain added sulphites?
Yes, but very little. Sato added just 5 mg/L of sulphites to L'atypique Riesling 2023 before bottling and nothing else.
Where can I buy Sato L'atypique Riesling 2023?
The Winery ships Sato L'atypique Riesling 2023 internationally from winenz.com to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, and delivers within New Zealand from thewineryonline.co.nz. You can also buy it in our Queenstown and Arrowtown stores.
