Winemaker Notes
Floral aromas of orange blossom and jasmine are complemented by fresh notes of green apple and grapefruit. On the palate, this bright, yet luscious wine evolves with flavors of nectarine, white peach, and honey crisp apple. The minerality and beautiful acidity provide an invigorating finish. Our Dry Riesling pairs best with bright, fresh flavors. Fresh cilantro, lime juice and zest, raw fish, and jasmine rice play well with the floral and acidic notes of this wine. Chef Chris suggests pairing with butter poached lobster, halibut crudo, or burrata crostini with avocado, cilantro, and lime.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Entirely fermented in stainless-steel, this wine is delightful in a floral aroma, with lively flavors of fresh apricot, spring grass and freshly squeezed lemon. Stony and briny, it retains its acidity through a long, herbal finish.
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Decanter
Lime, stone fruit and citrus blossom with a long, herbaceous finish. Fresh and delicate, with nice varietal aromas.
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Wine & Spirits
With its orange-water scents and the clarity and freshness of rain water, this wine carries its tart fruit with light tension. It’s not a big presence, but what’s present is good, especially if there’s Cantonese-style flounder with ginger and scallions steaming on the stove.
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.