2003 Riesling
The 2003 Estate Riesling has a freshness and purity of fruit, yet shows an intensity not often seen in Northwest Rieslings. The ‘Estate’ designation is from our oldest block of Riesling planted on the gentle slopes of the winery property. This sublime wine shows the quality that old vine material can give from this noble grape in the Northern Willamette Valley. A traditional bouquet of apricots, intense pear and apple overtones, which finishes with just a hint of petrol.
This is a pretty wine now yet has enough fruit and balanced acidity to age a number of years with cool cellaring. Elk Cove Vineyards library Rieslings date back to our first vintage in 1978. This Riesling is an incredible food wine but is especially good with Dungeness crab, oysters and blue-veined cheeses.
Vineyard
Our Riesling Estate is made from hand-picked fruit from three of our estate vineyards: Elk Cove Estate, Five Mountain and Windhill. Our Riesling vines are some of the oldest in Oregon, with our Estate and Windhill vines dating from 1975. These older vines give us fruit with a delightful complexity not often seen in domestic Rieslings.
Winemaking
We have the perfect climate for this delicate cool weather white wine – there’s enough sunlight and warmth for ripening, but our cool evenings help us retain the delicate varietal character. We whole-cluster press our Riesling grapes, then ferment the juice at very cool temperatures in small stainless steel tanks, producing an aromatic, crisp Riesling with a beautiful acid profile.
Viticultural & Enological Data
- Vine Age 28 years
- Yield 2 tons/acre
- Harvest Sugars 24 Brix
- pH 2.95
- Vatting Whole-cluster pressed and cold fermented in small stainless steel tanks.
- Cases Produced 540
