Kant, or won't? Is it the words we use to represent electric acidity and peachy, mineral flavors that is determinative of rieslingness, or does the state of rieslingness imprint upon us our organoleptic understanding of the wine? Either way, Kant would clearly have benefited with a higher dose of acid. We have dusted off Critique after a 3 year hiatus in what is turning out to be an exceptional vintage for dry white wines. Though 2004 was unusually hot throughout most of the west coast, the wines in general maintained a remarkably high level of natural acidity, enough to impress and further stiffen the spine of the most vigilant Teuton. Due in large measure to the combination of warm temperatures and the long hang time necessary to achieve phenological maturity, Critique also carries around with it more than a tad of alcohol, yet the wine seems to gather it in and contain it without aid of fire suppression equipment.

An excellent example of the “harmonic dry" winemaking style, the 2004 Critique shows off the bright stone fruit and wispy white flower essences unique to riesling, while containing them in a very rigid, stony, even austere framework. As with the Malvasia Bianca, a definite, though spurious suggestion of sweetness in the nose is met with potent crackle of acidity, complete dryness and [in this case unlike the malvasia] an expansiveness across the palate courtesy of fermentation in older barrels and the wonder drug of intensive lees therapy--doctor's orders.