14 Hands Riesling 2015
Winemaker Notes
This unique and beautiful landscape that gave these unbridled horses their spirit and tenacity now feeds our vines. With loamy-sand and gravel soils, these hills require a strong and determined grapevine, and our 14 Hands vines revel in this unique and world class terroir. With the fruit from these tenacious vines, 14 Hands wines are handcrafted into big, bold, juicy fruit forward reds and crisp, fruit forward white wines that are laced with the unbridled spirit and legend of the region.
14 Hands celebrates the spirit of these wild horses, and the rich and unique history of Washington wines not only in our wines, but also in the vibrant colors and images on our popular varietal labels and our new Hot to Trot red and white blend wines. Whether you enjoy 14 Hands by the glass in your favorite restaurant, or share a bottle with family or friends, our wines are the quintessential Washington wine experience – fruit-forward, easily enjoyable with any meal or on any occasion, and delivering a superb value for the price. Bringing this bottle of wine to the party is more than bringing just a wine – it’s a delicious wine with a unique story that’s sure to spark up a memorable conversation.
An important winegrowing state increasingly recognized for its high-quality reds and whites, Washington ranks second in production in the U.S. after California. Washington wines continue to gain well-deserved popularity as they garner higher and higher praise from critics and consumers alike.
Washington winemakers draw inspiration mainly from Napa Valley, Bordeaux and the Rhône as well as increasingly from other regions like Spain and Italy. Most viticulture takes place on the eastern side of the state—an arid desert in the rain shadow of the Cascade mountains. Irrigation is made possible by the Columbia River. Temperatures are extreme, with hot and dry summers and cold winters, during which frost can be a risk.
Washington’s wine industry was initially built on Merlot, which remains an important variety to this day, despite having been overtaken in acreage planted by Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Bordeaux blends and Rhône blends are common as well as single varietal bottlings. Washington reds tend to express a real purity of concentrated fruit. The best examples have a bold richness, seamless texture, plush or powdery tannins and flavors such as licorice, herb, forest floor, espresso and dark chocolate.
In terms of white wine from Washington state, Riesling is the state’s major success story, producing crisp, aromatic examples with plenty of stone fruit that range from bone dry to lusciously sweet. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc perform nicely here as well, and Viognier is beginning to pick up steam.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.