Our 2007 Riesling was produced entirely from grapes grown in Monterey County, along California’s cool Central Coast. An especially rich, full-bodied rendition of the noble Riesling variety, it exudes fresh honeysuckle, ripe peach, citrus blossom and baking spice aromas with
mouthfilling, honeyed peach, ripe yellow apple and kiwi fruit flavors. Pair this full-flavored Riesling with rich seafood and poultry dishes,
baked ham, pork chops, grilled sausages, smoked meats and spicy Pacific Rim cuisines. It’s also delicious on its own and with fresh fruit and cheese.
2007 HARVEST
The 2007 growing season was another cool and dry growing season on California’s Central Coast. Flowering was slightly on the early side, which would indicate a lighter crop level. The summer alternated between cool and cold temperatures resulting in clusters smaller than usual across all varieties and crop levels slightly lower than previous years. Concentration of flavors and color was very good however.
VITICULTURE
The cool Monterey County sites from which we source our Riesling grapes are at the northern end of the Salinas Valley, not far from the Pacific Ocean. In this cool, marine-influenced region, with its distinctive sandy and clay loam soils, winds sweep through the vineyards during the afternoon hours and ocean fog blankets the vines at night. These conditions ensure that our Riesling grapes mature at a slow, even pace, retaining excellent acidity while developing ripe, fully developed varietal flavors.
WINEMAKING
To capture the floral aromas characteristic of Monterey County Riesling, we harvest our grapes in the cool night and early-morning hours, then immediately press the whole clusters to fully capture their fresh, pure juice. After cold-settling the juice for 48 hours, we inoculate it with four different cultured yeast strains — two imparting pronounced floral aromas, one enhancing the wine’s texture and one ideal for slow fermentations at cold temperatures (48°-50°F). To accentuate the wine’s fruitiness, we arrest the fermentation before all the sugar has converted to alcohol, cold settle the wine in tank, then bottle it at its freshest and most vibrant. Our Riesling does not undergo malolactic fermentation, nor does it spend any time in oak.
TECHNICAL DATA
Varietal Composition: 87% Riesling, 6% Malvasia Biancia, 3% Gewurztraminer, 2% Tocai Fruilano, 2% Muscat Canelli
Appellation: 96% Monterey County, 3% San Benito County,
1% San Luis Obispo County
Oak Aging: None
TA: 7.6g/100ml
pH: 3.10
Alcohol: 12.5%