Cellar Craft International Yakima Valley Johannisberg Riesling

Oak 5 / Body 5 / Sweetness 1

Cherry Hill Vineyard, Yakima Valley, Washington

Washington is renowned for producing the best Rieslings in the US. Cherry Hill Vineyard produces the best Riesling that we have experienced in Washington.  Cherry Hill Riesling displays the classic intense perfume of green apple, pear and lime with a crisp acidity that defines great Riesling. It also has an opulently textured personality built around a pronounced orange blossom bouquet and spicy notes that together evoke thoughts of candied tangerine. A stunning wine that, from the 2005 vintage, reaches heights we have not before seen.

Serve lightly chilled with a wide variety of foods including fowl, pork and sea foods. Ideal with Chinese and Thai dishes.

THEY BEGIN IN THE VINEYARD

Exceptional grapes are used for Cellar Craft's Showcase Collection. Most are harvested from specific blocks of named vineyards. All are given exceptional care during processing to ensure that all of the desirable character is retained and that no undesirable qualities are introduced. Care starts in the vineyards where they stipulate that yields must be controlled to less than 3 tons per acre. Intensity of flavors is preserved. The grapes are crushed and pressed in small batches using gentle bladder presses. No bitterness is introduced through overly aggressive juice extraction. The juices are settled only by gravity. No fining agents, filters or centrifuges are used. This leaves all of the desirable solids in the juices so that they can impart their flavors and esters into the wine during fermentation. The juices typically go from the vine to freezers, at -18 degrees, in less than 24 hours. No sugars have been added to the must. No non-grape flavors, esters or botanicals have been added to the kit.

Note: Minimum processing creates superior flavors and aromatics but you may occasionally encounter “wine diamonds” in the bottle or glass, especially if the wine was over-chilled or stored several days in the refrigerator. These are natural, tasteless, harmless and inert. Simply pour the wine, gently trying to leave the crystals in the bottle.

16L, more juice format.
Kit is ready to bottle in six weeks.