RR Gruner Veltliner 2020 (750ml)

100% Gruner Veltliner
ABV - 13.5% | TA - 6.8 g/L
pH - 3.20 | RS - 1.4 g/L
Aging - 5 months 50% Stainless Steel 50% neutral French Oak
Production - 294 Cases
Release - May 2021

Vintage Notes
Winemaking gets tested some years, like 2020. All the climate and grape growing underpinnings for greatness were there: good but not overpowering heat and little rain. Weather was not the test on winery skills, dealing with climate’s first-time effects from wildfire was the test.

And, we once again found that Place Matters. Distant wildfires had an impact on aromas, flavors and textures to varying degrees based on place. Grape varieties and how they are made left some wines unaffected, others needing ingenuity to dodge it. White wines were unscathed if made well, red wines benefited from a lighter touch in extraction and calling lucky sites, like Ridgecrest, home.

How great will 2020 be—close to perfect growing season, concentrated fruit from low yields—how a wisp of campfire is embraced maybe being the key? Grapegrowing is farming after all, winemaking an attempt at alchemy.

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

The 2.2 acres of Grüner Veltliner was planted in the Wind Ridge Block in 2006.

Winemaker’s Notes
Our playful child, Grüner Veltliner, is always a great reflection of vintage and fermentation style, and in 2020 we chased the more “traditional” side of Grüner and made it a bit leaner and crisper, ala a classic Austrian Grüner profile. The color is yellow, tinged with a bit of grüner, I mean green, as the grape’s name implies. Aromatics of Italian parsley, peony, underripe mango and starfruit prevail, and echo the palate’s brightness and razor-edged tension. Flavors of white peach, fresh green apple, white pepper and a slightly phenolic grip on the back palate are a nice contrast to the more precise acid and tension we have upon entry and broaden the scope of the wine for a long, slowly tapering finish.

Tech Sheet