Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A deeply golden hue in the glass, this bottling shows fantastic aromas of petrol, beeswax, roasted squash and honeyed saffron on the nose. The palate sizzles with acidity, offering wool, beeswax and lemon preserve flavors. It’s really hitting its stride right now.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Stirm Wirz Vineyard Old Vine Riesling is appealing and impressive in its delivery. TASTING NOTES: This wine shines with classic aromas and flavors of petrol, ripe apples, and earth. Serve it with freshly-steamed Dungeness crab. (Tasted: June 22, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
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.
Part of the larger Central Coast AVA, the valley was historically an important source of grapes for Almaden Vineyards before it was acquired by Constellation Brands in the 1980s. At 1,100 feet, the San Andreas Fault divides the valley so that one side is granite and sandstone, and the other is granite and limestone. Its position along the San Andreas fault makes the region well suited for excellent Central Coast wine production. Top varietals include Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and rose.