94 Points– Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The long, warm, dry fall of 2014 extended hang times for all of the varietals we farm. Typically we will make one or two botrytis-specific picks in November to form the bulk of our single vineyard dessert wines. But with little to no weather pressure to pull our botrytis-affected Riesling, we extended our late harvests over multiple picks. One result is this Riesling sourced entirely from our Josef Vineyard. It shows the site’s typically broad, tropical acidities but with a lithe agility on the palate.
Underpinned by excellent structure, this dessert wine is fantastic with all manner of goat cheeses, fruit tarts, and spicy charcuterie.
Grape: | 100% Riesling |
Estate Vineyard: | Josef Vineyard |
Harvest : | November 19, 2014 |
Alcohol by Volume: | 7.8% |
Sugar Level at Harvest: | 32.3% |
Residual Sugar: | 19.3% |
93 Points– Wine Spectator Magazine
2016 featured extended hang times across each of our varietals. A warm and dry growing season gave way to a long, temperate autumn where sugars climbed gradually and acidities held steady even into our botrytis picks. The Noble Select dessert wines from this vintage offer zestier, citrus blossom aromas with a mouth-coating concentration reminiscent of maple sap.
This wine will cellar into the 2050s and beyond.
Grape: | Riesling |
Harvest: | November 15 |
Alcohol by Volume: | 8.2% |
Sugar at Harvest: | 42.1% |
Residual Sugar: | 28.4% |
Vinification: | Cold Fermentation 7+ Months, Estate grown & bottled, Whole Cluster Press |
93 Points– Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The final, 100% botrytis picks from our Magdalena Vineyard evince the structure, topicality, and mouth-coating waxiness we associate with that site’s other Riesling picks. At the extreme sugar concentration achieved with additional hangtime, the Noble Select picks from this site are spice-rich and acid-driven. A citrus flower and ginger nose open for densely packed flavors of yellow apple crumble and mango puree.
This wine will cellar comfortably for decades. To enjoy now we recommend cheese & charcuterie plates, spicy pork rillette, and peach pie.
Varietal Composition: | 100% Riesling |
Harvest Date: | November 8, 2015 |
Alcohol by Volume: | 7.5% |
Sugar Level at Harvest: | 44.8% |
Residual Sugar: | 32.3% |
Vinification: | Cold Fermentation, Estate grown & bottled, Whole Cluster Press |