2015 Riesling

Positively jumps out of the glass with bursts of honeysuckle, honey and eucalyptus. A woodsy tone of cherry blossoms in springtime tempers the sweetness. Very rich and concentrated on the palate with bright, bright fruit accents of plum, fresh green apple and caramelized orange peel. Continues to be lively on the long, citrusy finish.

Accolades

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.

Vintage

VINTAGE 2015 brought ideal conditions, leading to generous yields and exceptionally concentrated fruit. An early spring and clear weather led to a solid bloom that was three weeks early. Thinning is such an important tool for us to influence the course of ripening, and due to large initial cropsets, one we fully utilized in 2015. We thinned in early summer at our higher elevation sites, but waited until veraison to thin our lower elevation sites to slow down ripening and add “hang-time,” an important factor in the development of complex flavors in Pinot Noir.

Harvest 2015 was the earliest on record for the Northern Willamette Valley and we were a little stunned when our first fruit hit the crushpad on September 8th. Autumn brought relief from the heat with mild evenings and cool rainless nights that allowed for slow, even ripening. We harvested fruit that was absolutely pristine and perfectly ripe, at a gradual pace that allowed us to give our full attention to each block.

We are hopeful that 2015 is equally as good as the spectacular 2012 and 2014 vintages, and early signs indicate just that, with the wines showing moderate alcohols, balanced acids and great concentration.

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 back to 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 8-40 years
  • Harvest Sugars 23 brix
  • pH 3.05
  • Vatting Whole-cluster pressed and cold fermented in small stainless steel tanks.
  • Cases Produced 1060