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Wine Recommendation
Handley Cellars
2005 Riesling(Cole Ranch)
Milla Handley has a way with things Alsatian. Her Gewurztraminers have always been among my favorites, and her Rieslings have always been solid examples of how it’s done in the Anderson Valley. This one, made from Cole Ranch fruit, is no exception.
Picked at 22.8 Brix on November 5, 2005, the grapes for this wine were crushed and pressed in order to moderate acidity and enhance texture. Once settled, the juice was racked to stainless steel tanks and neutral French oak barrels (20%) for fermentation and aging. The wine has .53g/100 ml RS and a pH of 3.16, which is right where you want those numbers to be for Riesling.
The nose is an Alsatian sensation: an explosion of delightful perfume, petrol, and notes of bergamot, the key ingredient in Earl Grey tea. The flavors are just as intense, with citrus, white peaches, apricots, coriander, Meyer lemon and a hint of ginger. The acid is terrific, the texture perfection, and the finish, cleansingly divine. It’s one mouth-watering wine. Probably one of the best domestic Rieslings I’ve had this year. Milla makes it easy to spend domestic dollars for classic European taste, so don’t waste your euros! Get yourself a case of this before it’s all gone.
(Alc: 13%, Price: $17)
Reviewed March 23, 2007 by Laura Ness.
The Wine
Winery: Handley Cellars |
The Reviewer
Laura Ness
A wine writer and wine judge for major publications and competitions around the country, Laura Ness likens wine to the experience of music. She is always looking for that ubiquitous marriage of rhythm, melody, and flawless execution. What is good music? You know it when you get lost in it. What is good wine? It is music in your mouth. |