Navarro White Riesling 1999
Riesling
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Product Details
Varietal
Producer
Vintage
1999
Size
750ML
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
There is so little Riesling grown in California we were able to discern the impact of planting our miniscule Riesling vineyard on the massive compilation of statistics compiled by the Department of Agriculture each year called "California Grape Acreage." Navarro's office staff dreads government forms because it takes a computer guru to be sure acreage, yields, prices etc. are reported accurately. Truth is... sometimes the info generated is interesting. In 1998, Mendocino County reported 105 Riesling acres, all planted before 1990 except for 3 "non-bearing" acres planted in 1996. In 1999, Mendocino County had only 92 acres of Riesling planted and the 3 acres planted in 1996 were now listed as "bearing." Wasn't tough to figure these particular acres were Navarro's. We should have guessed the supply was dwindling when we had trouble ordering Riesling vines for planting. We managed to secure a enough vines grafted to the California clone FPMS 10 but when we wanted to plant the German clone Neustadt 90 or ENTAV 49 from Alsace, we had to propagate our own bud wood. Happily, two neighbors also appreciate this special grape and have resisted pulling it out so this bottling includes Riesling from Valley Foothill's next door and McFadden's organic vineyard in Potter Valley. A startlingly tart nectarine finish follows aromas of honey and orange blossom.
Our family has been growing grapes, in the Anderson Valley in coastal Mendocino since 1973. Since our production of wine and non-alcoholic grape juice is small, you probably will not find them in your local store.
Consolidation and globalization are sweeping the wine business but mega-farming is not particularly conducive to crafting distinctive wines. Navarro is tiny and we don't base decisions on expediency or efficiency. We hand hoe on hillsides, punch-down fermenting juice in small bins and painstakingly train each stray grape shoot into its proper place on the trellis.
NWL758475_1999 Item# 40841