2008 Trefethen Dry Riesling

A Riesling To Die For

Last weekend we took a quick trip up to Domaine Chandon in Yountville to pick up our holiday shipment from their wine club. Luckily, we didn’t throw a regular Christmas or New Year’s party this year, so the magnum of Blanc de Noirs wasn’t yet needed.

After our stop there and some 12- and 20-year aged cuvee tasting, we decided to take my folks to Trefethen Family Vineyards, since they had never been. They’re home to one of my all-time favorite Cabernet Francs, but this time, a white of theirs stole my heart.

The 2008 Dry Riesling is very light and delicate-looking in the glass. Light plays right through it, and it looks incredibly crisp and clear. On the nose are some extremely pleasant floral notes that reminded me more of Viognier (which I’d yet to taste that day), along with a very nice honey scent that wasn’t too sticky or sweet.

The wine has a light and bright mouthfeel that matches its color (in a metaphorical sense, of course). The wine is crisp, but has a rather long, lingering finish with a very pleasant aftertaste. It’s an acidic white that really plays up its citrus–and specifically lemon–notes all along the palate. There is a little sweetness to the wine as well (it is, after all, a riesling) but this is in no way a “sweet” wine. No dessert here. This is a gorgeous pairing wine that would also work remarkably well on a hot summer day outdoors.

It’s like a picnic in a bottle. Just add cheese.

Verdict: A