Winemaker Notes
Think spice. Strong Indian and Asian spices are a perfect match with our Dry Riesling. The wine also pairs well with crab, shellfish, sushi and seared Ahi tuna. Our favorite match is on a porch swing or sipping by the pool.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Since the early days of my wine career (circa the mid-1970s), I have found the Trefethen Dry Riesling to be one of my top matches with ginger and onion Dungeness crab—a staple in many fine Cantonese restaurants in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. The wine's ripe apple and floral notes make it a perfect match. The 2015 vintage is spot-on. Fresh and vibrant, the crisp finish brings out the sweetness of the lovely crustacean. (Tasted: June 15, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
From 100% estate-grown grapes, and possessing 6.8 g/L of residual sugar, this wine is lovely in peach, pear and lemon, and quite voluptuous in texture, with a hint of spice. Pretty floral aromas of jasmine provide additional flourish and invitation, with the finish dry.
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.
As one of Napa’s coolest sub-appellations, the area begs for diversity among its vineyards. Merlot and Chardonnay firmly compete with Cabernet Sauvignon for a place here. Some of Napa’s best Zinfandels also come from the Oak Knoll District.
Situated far in Napa’s southern end, Oak Knoll receives a strong cooling influence from both the San Pablo Bay and the Pacific Coast’s evening fog and breezes. Summer days are warm but on average ten degrees cooler than in St. Helena farther north up the valley; summer nights are chilly. A long growing season promotes for leisurely ripening of grape berries, resulting in an impressive balance of sugars, phenols and acidity.
Notable producers include Trefethen, one of the appellation’s oldest wineries, Robert Biale, legendary Zinfandel producer and Lewis Cellars, a family-run, hands-on establishment.