The 2025 Edelzwicker is the first release in our stewardship series of small production wines, with 1% of the proceeds supporting elk habitat conservation.
Crafted from estate-grown fruit from our Five Mountain and Windhill vineyards, this white wine blend is finished dry and features 33% Pinot Gris, 33% Muscat, 17% Gewürztraminer, and 17% Riesling.
The 2025 vintage was a high quality and accelerated year that made us thankful for the dual safeguards of diverse vineyard sites and an experienced crew.
Overall, the growing season was steady and uneventful. We had ideal spring weather during budbreak and bloom led to a good fruit-set. Reasonably sized clusters meant below-average crop levels that required very little thinning. It was a moderately early summer with a few heat spells and light rains in August. During the mild September, ripening progressed at a steady pace with very low disease pressure and very few hungry birds. Harvest would come quickly.
At Elk Cove, we were able to extend harvest to a very full five weeks, allowing for additional hang-time and lessening the strain on our crew and cellar. The varied elevations, aspects, and clonal selections of our vineyards help space out ripening, so we could take our time, continuing to bring in fruit long after many of our neighbors were finished. We brought in clean fruit with great concentration due to small berries, small clusters and fewer seeds than average. Those were some very intense five weeks, so we were very thankful for our experienced vineyard crew, several of whom joined us in the cellar for harvest along with winemaking students from Germany, Brazil, Massachusetts and Portland. It was a difficult but rewarding harvest.
Expect precocious 2025 vintage wines with excellent quality and concentration alongside lush, ripe fruit flavors.
Review Edelzwicker.