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2003 Dry Riesling Reserve

(updated May 1, 2006)

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The Wine

Our dry riesling is produced in very limited quantities from selected lots from our Corral Creek and Stoller Vineyards. Our intent is to reflect ripe fruit that is highly focused with pinpoint acidity. This is a serious riesling, not a quaffer, a big wine with brilliant, rich fruit, bright acid and a weighty palate. The acidity provides ageability and great structure, making it perfect with food and cleansing on the palate. It continues the viscous, intense, Alsatian styled wines that our Pinot Gris Reserve starts; it is harvested late (almost always in November) with full ripeness and a touch of botrytis, giving the most intense dry Riesling we can make.

The Vineyards

Corral Creek was begun in 1983 by John and Diane Howieson, founders of Veritas Winery from whom the vineyard was purchased in 1995. A 25 acre vineyard predominantly planted to Pinot noir, with grafts of Dijon chardonnay, Pinot gris, and, recently, Riesling, to augment the prime 1.1 acre block of 16 year old Riesling sited on a low bench above Corral Creek. Soils are Laurelwood, a blown sedimentary loess soil series that, although low in elevation, is well drained.

Stoller Vineyards currently has a 1.5 acre block of riesling, grafted from Pinot blanc in 2001 in one of the highest elevation blocks. A south-sloping, 115 acre vineyard on a 350 acre parcel, Stoller Vineyards commands a dominating view of the southern end of the Red Hills of Dundee, giving it regular comparison to Burgundy's Corton Hill. Stoller Vineyards is planted on jory soil, with a touch of Nekia, which are both red volcanic soil types.

The Vintage

This is an excellent vintage, albeit unusual in the fiery nature of the growing season. The same dry and warm growing and ripening seasons held for 2003 as with the past few vintages, only moreso, with Region II (not cool climate!) heat accumulations of 2500 units, average highs of 78F July-October and half the normal rainfall with 2.75 inches. Fruit was disease free, crop loads were easily honed to desired levels, and soil moisture was adequate due to good pre-season winter rains. Concerns of the vintage center on high sugars and resultant high alcohols, and low acids. Almost comparable past vintages like excellent 1992 may urge us not to worry.

Stats

Harvest Data:

Harvested 10/01-10/15/03, in early and late picks, @20.4-22 brix, 3.06-3.23 pH, and 6.1-7.2 g/L total acid

Fermentation:

Fermented with three yeasts (R2, VL3, SIHA 7) in small stainless vessels

Cooperage/Aging:

Tank fermented

Bottling:

Cold stabilized, filtered and bottled 4/05/2004

Bottling Analyses:

13.0% alcohol, 7.0g/L acid., 3.10 pH, 0.49% residual sugar

Cases Produced:

450

Suggested Retail:

$19

Release Date:

August, 2004

Winemaker's Comments

This Riesling shows the ripeness of the vintage, but also show the beauty of a cool climate, where acidity and freshness is retained. Very much in the rich, structured, floral and fruit Rieslings we traditionally do, the 2003 carries just-ripe peach aromatics and flavors, gardenia and other white blossom aromatics with a puff of talc, minerality, great weight and acid structure, and enough RS for roundness.

Quotes

2006 Food & Wine Guide, September 2005, Jamal Rayyis: Three stars—excellent, top-notch of its type. Bushels of peach flavor hold hints of Riesling’s hallmark petrol notes.

Oregon Wine Report, Issue 19, October 2004, Cole Danehower: A- (in Cole's top ten recent Oregon White Wines) ...Healthy aromas of spiced apples, dried flower blossoms, lightly sweet smelling apple peel and a touch of talcum. Punchy and concentrated flavors of dried pink grapefruit, red apple, and a veil of lemon and rosewater... zestful acidity brings a kind of radiance to the flavors, and the finish is quite intense with a lingering and pleasing bitter sense of grapefruit and spice... Harry Peterson-Nedry once again "nails it" with a compelling dry Riesling...

The Wine Advocate, October 2004, Pierre Rovani: 88. ...revealed demure, yet rich aromas of white fruits and flowers. Possessing excellent depth, purity and length, this medium bodied wine displays a flavor profile of red berries and minerals.

Northwest Palate, July/August 2004: Highly recommended. Dry. Pungent aromas of mineral, straw, and faint apricot. Austere flavors of stone fruit and mineral. Lively and well balanced, with fruit concentration just emerging.