Ridgecrest Estate Dry Riesling 2021 (750ml)

100% Riesling
ABV - 11.9% | RS - 10.2 g/L TA - 8.0 g/L | pH - 3.06
Aging - 5 months | 95% stainless steel 5% neutral French oak
Clones - 9,12,21, 239
Production - 213 cases
Release - April 2023
Enjoy - now - 2031 & beyond

Vintage Notes
2022 restores your faith in Mother Nature's capacity to take a poor start and finish well, grape plants revealing their inherent resilience to rebound from nearly disastrous weather events. In late April, buds were open and vulnerable when a hard and killing freeze settled in. Normally, if vines are damaged, grapes rely on secondaries to replace primary buds. But, this time the extent of the damage was extensive, with secondaries damaged too, so that we anticipated only a yield of 40% of normal, approximately 1 ton per acre. Growing season weather however cooperated to boost secondary and tertiary buds, with the third highest heat accumulation in 26 years, focused at the end of the growing season, October averaging highs of 72F, with nine days warmer than 80F. Crop load yielded 85% of normal rather than 40% we feared. Whew!

About the Vineyards
Ridgecrest Vineyards is dry-farmed sustainably according to LIVE (Low Input Viticulture & Enology) standards.

Established - 1980 | Planted - 1982 - current | Elevation - 480 - 690ft
Acreage - 120 total, 41 planted | Soils - Marine Sedimentary

Of the 40 planted acres that constitute Ridgecrest Vineyards, less than 4 acres are Riesling. Great things come in small packages!

Winemaker's Notes
This new Ridgecrest Dry Riesling is the epitome of a perfectly balanced noble Riesling. The color ranges from platinum to green-gold, and the nose is a symphony of green apple, lime peel, aloe, apricot jam, potting soil, and graphite. There is a barely perceptible amount of residual sugar, which balances out the bright and racy acid, and elongates the palate into a full, broad spectrum, complex, floral and fruit-fleshy wine. The flavors and aromatics are in harmony, highlighting peach, lychee, hyacinth, talc, sweet-tarts, white pepper, honeydew, and starfruit. The finish is very pretty, showing more delicacy and elegance than other similar years, but still holding an intensity of fruit and flavors, and a textural herbaceous skin-influenced character. This is the most perfect cheese board and Thai food accompanier we can imagine!

Tech Sheet