Chateau Ste. Michelle – Dry Riesling Columbia Valley 75 CL
Columbia Valley Washington – USA
Riesling thrives wonderfully in the Columbia Valley, and is one of those grapes that is excellent for making crisp, fresh white wines. When the grape gets plenty of sun, the aromas become wonderfully floral and sweet, in the middle of the otherwise fine, slightly austere acidity. Chateau Ste. Michelle, Dry Riesling is another example in the range that elegantly demonstrates Chateau Ste. Michelle’s talent for producing fantastic Riesling wines. Here in a version that appears drier and fresher than the house’s other Colombia Valley Riesling wines. The wine is cold-fermented in
stainless steel tanks to precisely concentrate the fresh aromas and the fresh acidity. The wine is crisp and fresh with floral notes in both aroma and taste, but nicely balanced with a delicate and mouth-watering acidity.
The Columbia Valley is a large area in the eastern part of Washington State, in the northwestern corner of the United States. Despite that, Columbia Valley is at the same latitude as France’s large wine regions of Loire, Bordeaux and Burgundy, but in contrast, Columbia Valley has quite a few more hours of sunshine and very little rain. Two coastal mountain ranges act as a solid wall against the somewhat more erratic, cold and wet weather of western Washington State. Perfect conditions for healthy, tasty ripe grapes – and ditto well-made wines.
Chateau Ste. Michelle is one of America’s most prominent wine houses, founded in 1934, and thus Washington State’s oldest wine house. The philosophy is to combine classic European wine tradition with ‘New World innovation’. For this, the house has engaged winemakers from the prestigious Tuscan family Antinori and the German Riesling expert Dr. Loosen – the winemaker from the Mosel, rightly called “the rockstar of Riesling”. Ste. Michelle stands with Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars for some of America’s officially best wines. Chateau Ste. In 2012, Michelle was named “United States Producer of the Year” in the “Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC).”
Vinification:
Cold fermented in stainless steel tanks.
Tasting notes:
Crisp and fresh Riesling with floral notes in both aroma and taste but nicely balanced with a delicate acidity.
Recommended for:
Light poultry, Food with citrus, Sushi, Lean fish, Nordic cuisine, Asian food
