Washington Hills 11 Riesling lauded
Snooth.com – Gregory Dal Paz
It’s not easy to find great Riesling under $12. It is a very particular challenge since producers can always rely on their favorite crutch, sugar, when producing Rieslings. After working through over a case of value priced Rieslings, I was becoming a bit discouraged. Then, I hit on a series of wines from Washington State that made me take notice. Washington is often overlooked when it comes to fine wines, though I don’t know where that leaves Michigan and the New York Finger Lakes, who also produced solid entries for this list. It’s undeniable that Washington seems to be emerging as a great source for Riesling, though the marketplace has yet to take proper notice. This means that it remains a land of great values. Dive in and take a look at the complete notes from our value tasting in July 2012.
2011 Washington Hills Riesling WA 11.5% $10
Fairly sweet smelling on the nose with apple fruit accented by hints of jelly candy that recall blackberries and lime. This is noticeably sweet though there is plenty of acidity to help keep it balanced, if not bright. This trades some brightness for richness of fruit and depth of flavor. It’s a bit of a fruit bomb, but I like the combination of orchard fruit with citrus and berry accents. Super fun to drink with a finish that is moderately long and continues the fruit flavor interplay, while layering on a nice hint of minerality. Bing Bing Bing, we have a winner. 88pts