Yamhill Valley Vineyards 2014 Riesling, Willamette Valley, $18
The Barn and Triangle blocks that Stephen Cary and Ariel Eberle work each year on their Riesling program reach back to the early 1980s, which makes sense since Yamhill Valley Vineyards is home of the second-oldest vineyard in the McMinnville American Viticultural Area. This off-dry offering, harvested Oct. 27, comes across as akin to a German spätlese with its aromas of dried Granny Smith apple, fusel and Scotch Magic Tape. There’s terrific acidity to balance the residual sugar of 2.5% and rich mouth feel, allowing for lime, jasmine and more toast. It’s rather reminiscent of the Old World, nicely made and worth seeking for Riesling geeks.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 330 cases
Alcohol: 10.8%
Leave a Reply