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2002 Dry Riesling Reserve

(updated 11/03/04)

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The Wine

Our dry riesling is produced in very limited quantities from selected lots from our Corral Creek Vineyard and, for the first time, from Stoller Vineyard where a 1.5 acre block was grafted in 2001 from pinot blanc to riesling.This is a big wine with brilliant, rich fruit, bright acid and a weighty palate. The acidity provides ageability and great structure, making it amazing with food and cleansing on the palate. It continues the viscous, intense, Alsatian styled wines that our Pinot Gris Reserve starts; it is harvested late (almost always in November) with full ripeness and a touch of botrytis, giving the most intense dry riesling we can make.

The Vineyards

Corral Creek, although not our oldest estate vineyard, was begun in 1983 by John and Diane Howieson, founders of Veritas Winery from whom the vineyard was purchased in 1995. A 25 acre vineyard predominantly planted to Pinot noir, significant grafts of Dijon chardonnay and Pinot gris have been made at the vineyard, but not touching a 1.1 acre block of 16 year old Riesling nestled on a low bench above Corral Creek. Soils are Laurelwood, a predominantly sedimentary soil series that, although being low in elevation, is well drained.

Stoller Vineyards has in its 115 acres of vines on volcanic Dundee Hills soils currently a 1.5 acre block of riesling, grafted from pinot blanc in 2001 in one of the highest elevation blocks. A ripe site in general, this year we hedged our bets with early picking to assure ourselves we wouldn't lose vital acidity in overripeness. As it turned out, we used both early and late picks in the final wine blend.

The Vintage

2002 is an amazing vintage, characterized by an early, warm growing season, a spurt of rain prior to the harvest period that served to stabilize sugars, acids and pHs, and a dry, long harvest period with cool-to-moderate temperatures that allowed us to pick at precisely timed points for ultimate ripeness. For example, pinot noir was picked over a full month, from September 26 through October 26. Healthy croploads permitted full ripeness over this extended harvest, with excellent concentration and retained acidities.

Stats

Harvest Data:

Harvested 10/8-11/1/02, in early and late picks, @21.7-24.5 brix, 3.06-3.16 pH, and 8.4-9.0 g/L Total Acid

Fermentation:

Fermented with several yeasts (R2, VL3, ALS, SIHA 7) in small stainless vessels

Cooperage/Aging:

Tank fermented

Bottling:

Cold stabilized, filtered and bottled 4/01/2003

Bottling Analyses:

14.1% alcohol, 8.2g/L acid., 3.03 pH, 0.34% residual sugar

Cases Produced:

417

Suggested Retail:

$19

Release Date:

August, 2003

Winemaker's Comments

This is a lushly rich and weighty wine that surprisingly carries great acidity, due to the long, cool ripening finish to the 2002 harvest. The auslese weight and white fruit bordering on yellow (imagine peaches) makes the 2002 mouthfilling and impressive, even though some may not imagine it in its youth to be riesling, until the spices arrive. We suspect this might be a long ager, with the combined acid and alcohol-14% alcohol with a 3.0 pH!! Fleshy fruit weight, but you can still see the bones of acid.

Quotes

Northwest Palate Magazine, November/December 2004, Cole Danehower, "Splurge-Worthy Northwest Holiday Wines." This Oregon beauty is a spectacular rendition of dry Riesling, with tart green fruit notes, coriander spice, and shining acidity. Though not expensive, it is made only in small quantities each year and usually sells out to the winery's customer list. (The 2003 is an excellent alternative.)

London Financial Times, May 1, 2004, Jancis Robinson, "Americans Fall for Riesling." Seven Fine American Rieslings: ...Oregon producers are experiencing their own small Riesling boom (everything in Oregon is small—except the beards of the winemakers). There is now an official shortage of Riesling grapes in Oregon where prices per tonne can be even higher than in Washington...Chehalem's Dry Riesling runs out after 4-5 months...

Northwest Palate, March/April 2004, "Riesling to Believe," by Cole Danehower: Right here in our own backyard, a Riesling Renaissance is underway. An important leader of this awakening is Harry Peterson-Nedry...at Chehalem... 2002 Reserve Dry Riesling: Vigorous aromas of lime, kiwi and citrus peel combine with a viscid mouthfeel to deliver deep, vibrant flavors of grapefruit, mineral, coriander and lemon zest--wonderful!

Rosengarten Report, David Rosengarten, February 2004: "Move over Pinot Noir: Oregon has a New Starry Grape!" (Chehalem's 2002 Reserve Dry Riesling chosen as #1 out of nearly 100 Northwest Rieslings tasted.) I've never made secret my passion for dry and off dry white wines made from the noble Riesling grape ...these are some of my favorite white wines in the world for matching with food ... the dry Rieslings of Oregon are indeed better than ever, immensely better, indeed in a category that must be reckoned with on the world stage... Chehalem 2002 Reserve Dry Riesling ... the greatest Riesling I've ever tasted from Oregon.... The nose is lovely and ripe ... but the mouthfeel is the best part: bone dry with a profusion of peach and apricot flavors followed by a slight spiciness.

Wine Spectator, December 2003: 88. Fresh and tangy with lovely aromas of spicy apples and flowers, turning tart and stony in the mouth. Give it time to develop...

Northwest Palate, November/December 2003: Highly recommended. Fruit blossom aromas with notes of mineral, talc and faint apricot. Bone dry with light apricot and crisp apple flavors and a warm finish...

The Oregonian, Portland, OR, November 16, 2003, Matt Kramer: One of the best dry Oregon rieslings to appear thus far. This is really a knockout and can demonstrate to any snobs at the table (every family has one, it seems) that Oregon can create superb dry riesling. Worth its $18.95 asking price.

The Oregonian, Portland, OR, September 7, 2003, Matt Kramer: "Amid pricey Oregon wines, some delectable gems await." 2002 Reserve Dry Riesling.... If you haven't had a good Oregon riesling, believe me, you're really missing something. This new 2002 vintage shows just how profound a low-yielding...dry Oregon riesling can be. As in Alsace, the model for this thickly textured, crisp intense wine will do nothing but improve for upward of a decade longer. This wine has an apricot note found in so many fine rieslings. Allied to a stony crispness...

Oregon Wine Report, Issue 15, Cole Danehower: A-. ... tight and bracing in the mouth, there are potent, tangy flavors of green apples and grapefruit. ... substantial mouthfeel is lightened by shining acidity. Always one of Oregon's best, grab this if you can and save some if you can because it will only get better!