Winery - Viento
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Made to emulate a decadent Rutherglen Muscat, this sensationally long, buttery, well-aged dessert wine unfolds gracefully with layers of nuts, caramel, candied orange peel and ginger. At almost 20% alcohol and 16% residual sugar, a little goes a long way.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
From the oldest (28 years) Riesling planting in the Columbia Gorge, this dense, dry, 12.2% alcohol wine has marvelous grip and body. Bright fruit mixes apples, pears, white peaches and citrus, the flavors beautifully melded. The acidity brightens but does not turn sour, and the depth is remarkable for a dry wine harvested at such low brix. The more it breathes, the better it gets.
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Viento Riesling - 2009
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A field blend ice wine—don’t see that very often—it’s full-bodied, almost lush, and packed with mixed slightly candied fruits—tropical, stone fruits and citrus. Concentrated and poised, it balances on fresh acidity. Just a hint of plastic in the back of the finish.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
There is a bright, tight, spicy thread of clove running down the center of this wine, which livens it up. Firm fruit flavors of red berries and cherries are supported by generous natural acids. Just a hint of an earthy underpinning lengthens the finish. Lovely craftsmanship on display here.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Still spritzy, very tart and tangy, with orange peel and lemon drop flavors. Perhaps showing just a bit more intensity than the 2006, this is a terrific follow-up with the same mix of delicacy and power that suggests that the Columbia Gorge AVA may well be the best site in the Pacific Northwest to grow Riesling.
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Viento Riesling - 2007
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This is the first Grüner fruit from Underwood Mountain, and it promises good—maybe great—things to come. Sleek and stony, the wine epitomizes the racy, slightly grassy, slightly peppery quality of classic Austrian Grüner, with a Pacific Northwest twist—a certain brilliant intensity to the fruit that reflects this northern latitude. Clearly the best Grüner from Oregon or Washington to date.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This is winemaker Rich Cushman’s estate vineyard. At 25 years of age, it may well be the oldest Riesling planting in the region. The alcohol is just under 11%, but there is plenty of acid under the fruit, so despite its off-dry designation, this is a wine that would work wonderfully well with a wide variety of cheeses and appetizers. Flavors suggest pears and peaches, detailed with spice and stone.
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Viento Riesling - 2006
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This nicely captures the flavors of the grape, with juicy acidity around tart, tangy red berries. As it opens in the glass, the fruit broadens out and rounds into lush flavors of cherry, lightly dusted with cocoa powder. A fine first effort from second generation winemaker Peter Cushman.
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Viento Barbera - 2009
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Can anywhere else in the world get this much sugar and acid at the same time? This is a fantastic mix of sweet, almost candied citrus fruits, set against a layer of rock and buoyed with fresh, natural acids. There is a spritzy creaminess to the wine also—tasted pre-release—but it’s a fascinating and quite distinctive effort that will certainly reward some cellaring.
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Viento Riesling - 2007
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This is declassified ice wine, picked frozen. It does not have the depth of the other dessert wines from Viento, but it is a remarkable effort, textural and delicate, with threads of straw, honey, cracker, candied tropical fruits and more, but all in a light and delicate style. This could easily become a wine that will amaze people in a blind tasting given the price.
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Viento Riesling - 2009
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