2016 Desire Lines Cole Ranch Riesling

Cole Ranch is a rare jewel – a cold vineyard site with a long growing season, perfect for Riesling. The vines were planted at Cole Ranch in 1973 on St. George rootstock, head-trained and dry-farmed. The vineyard sits in a narrow valley in the mountains between Boonville and Ukiah. The soils warm up late in the spring, the valley tends to stay shaded by the sharp mountain ridges above, and temperatures plummet at night as cool air flows downhill into the vineyard. The grapes were picked perfectly ripe at a cool 21°brix and a pH below 3.0. Like the German Grosses Gewächs Rieslings that we love so much, the wine is a study in tension and richness, with a few grams of residual sugar retained to balance the abundant acidity. This is dry Riesling rendered in pointillist detail, shimmering and limpid.

Rated 94 points, Antonio Galloni
"The 2016 Riesling Cole Ranch is laced with the essence of dried flowers, mint, petrol, sage, chamomile and apricot. It is the most aromatically deep and structured of the three Rieslings I tasted, which may be a reflection of the vintage or time in bottle, possibly both. No matter, the 2016 exudes personality in its myriad layers of flavors and magnificent, regal balance. I loved it." - April 2020

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