Esoterica

Rutherford, Napa Valley

Vineyard Source   Rossi Vineyard in Rutherford

Chemistry at harvest:  Brix: 22    pH: 3.3     Total Acidity 5.5 grams/liter

Quantity Produced: 340 cases (12 x 750ml)

Date of Bottling: November 14, 2007

Chemistry at bottling:    pH: 3.23    Total Acidity 5.6 grams/liter   Alcohol: 11.85%   Free Sulfur Dioxide: 27 ppm    Total Sulfur Dioxide: 75 ppm

This tiny release of Riesling was my favorite little project of the year. I have not made a Riesling in years, but it is one of my favorite wines. When I heard of these grapes (only about a mile from the winery) I had to go see them…Riesling in Rutherford??? I thought it had all long ago been pulled out to make way for King Cabernet. The vineyard was a beautiful old style design, warty old vines with only a few clusters each. The grapes tasted great and I thought, well if I am going to ever make another Napa Valley Riesling, this looks like an awfully good bet. Sadly, the grapes got picked one day and the vineyard was pulled out by the owner the next (to make way for Cab, I am sure). So I guess that makes this wine, not only good, but a bit of winemaking history also!

I fermented the juice very very cold-at about 51 degrees. It took most of month to get down to the sweetness level that I thought was perfect. At that point all I could think is that this was a stunningly "pretty" wine in the line of great Rhine region type Riesling. It was so good, I couldn't see that aging it in barrel or tank was going to benefit it any, so I bottled it-and don't regret it a bit.

Enjoy this wine; it is the perfect balance between sweetness and acid. It has a lovely nose as only Riesling can, and the flavor is full of flowers and fruit. Funnily enough, as young as this wine is now, I think that it will age very gracefully for many years. To me it has the characteristics that a Riesling needs to sit in the bottle and get better and better.