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We are excited to make this kind of aromatic, minerally white wine and we feel that the combination of aromatic fruit, and rich, velvety mouthfeel in our Riesling is in keeping with the signature Dashe style that defines our line of red wines. Our first vintage in 2006 was such a success that we almost doubled our production to 430 cases in 2007.
2007 Dry Riesling, McFadden Farms
History
Michael and Anne Dashe have always enjoyed drinking crisp, aromatic European dry Rieslings from wine-growing regions such as Austria, and Alsace, France. It was not a huge leap to want to make those kind of wines ourselves, so when we discovered a great, organically-grown Riesling Vineyard up in the mountains surrounding Potter Valley in Mendocino county, we decided to take the plunge. Not only are we excited to make this kind of aromatic, minerally white wine, but we feel that the combination of aromatic fruit, and rich, velvety mouthfeel in our Riesling is in keeping with the signature Dashe style that defines our line of red wines. Our first vintage in 2006 was such a success that we almost doubled our production to 430 cases in 2007.
Our desire to make a great Riesling led us to Guinness McFadden’s mountain ranch after years of searching for an ideal vineyard source. A perfectionist, Guinness grows only white grapes high in the mountains of Potter Valley in Mendocino County. There, the nights are quite cool, while the days are relatively warm, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly while developing lovely, complex flavors. In addition, the unique microclimate keeps the acidity naturally high in the fruit, making the wine crisp and clean. Adding to our enthusiasm, Guinness grows the exceptional grapes on his beautiful vineyard organically.
Production
The grapes were picked in mid-October, very early in the morning, and were immediately taken to our winery so that we could press the grapes while they were still cold. We gently pressed the fruit in our Italian grape press for almost three hours in order to intensify the fruit flavors without extracting any harsh seed tannin.
After pressing, the juice was allowed to settle prior to being racked into a 500-gallon stainless steel tank. We inoculated the juice with a yeast strain used in Alsace for Riesling grapes, and kept the fermentation temperature in the 60-degree range. This cool fermentation preserved the naturally lovely Riesling fruit aromatics, while helping to develop lush, complex flavors in the finished wine. To highlight the varietals delicate fruit and accentuate its lovely crisp flavors, the wine was fermented almost dry, with only a few grams of residual sugar to give the wine a smooth, lingering finish. After fermentation, it was kept in its stainless steel tank, filtered to remove the yeast and particulate matter, and bottled in mid February.
Tasting Notes
Aroma: This wine possesses a lovely nose of minerals and earth, mixed with floral aromas of tangerine and orange blossom, dried apricots, figs and citrus, with a slight hint of flinty spice.
Flavors: Filled with complex flavors of dried apricot, orange, flint and honeysuckle, with a touch of spice, this wine has a rich, velvety texture, great acid balance, and a clean, persistent floral, apricot and spice finish.
Number of cases produced: 430 cases (750 ml)
Date released: April 1st, 2007
Price: $20 suggested retail
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