Winemaker Notes
This Dry Riesling is crisp, showing beautiful notes of lemon, lime, and spring flowers. The nose explodes with fresh aromas of lemongrass, ginger, and white pepper. It’s balanced with refreshing acidity and an elegant finish.
This versatile wine pairs perfectly with lighter cuisine. Try simple fish, chicken, or pasta dishes with citrus flavors and avoid strong tomato-based sauces.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a crisp and complex expression of the variety, with fresh acidity at its core. Waxy apple, honeysuckle and ginger combine for a lengthy, layered and memorable experience on the textured palate.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2020 Trefethen Dry Riesling shows up as one of the finest in its category from the New World. TASTING NOTES: This wine offers aromas and flavors of ripe apple and a hint of flowers. Pair it with a crab and shrimp salad. (Tasted: July 18, 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.
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.