Wine of the Week
Wine of the Week
Two new wines from Trisaetum remind us to keep an eye on domestic riesling
Long lauded in its native Germany and throughout many Old World wine producing countries, riesling is one of the world’s most versatile grapes. It makes everything from bone dry snappy whites to luscious exotic dessert wines. In the United States, riesling has long been overshadowed by chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, but as wine insiders know, riesling opens up a whole new world of flavor for the adventurous drinker. Two rieslings we recently sampled from Oregon’s Trisaetum Vineyard reminded us how much we’re missing out on if we fail to explore the wide stylistic range of Oregon riesling.
Trisateum Vineyard, in the Willamette Valley, produces small-lot batches of riesling and pinot noir from two estate vineyards, “Coast Range,” and “Ribbon Ridge.” We sampled two new Trisaetum rieslings, both of which possessed an extremely balanced, distinctive, and tasty flavor. Sipping the Coast Range Vineyard Dry riesling ($24) tasted like biting into a fresh green apple; the flavor was elegant and a bit tart, with light citrus and floral notes. The Coast Range Vineyard riesling ($24), made in a semi-dry style as opposed to dry, was a touch sweet but not cloying, with a slightly tart finish. Each sip was bursting with fruit including green apple, brown pear, tangerine, and kiwi.
We were surprised by how delicious both wines were, but perhaps we shouldn't have been. There are some phenomenal rieslings being produced in the United States right now, from Oregon in particular.
Do you have a favorite domestic riesling producer? Share it below.
Tags: Trisateum Vineyard, riesling, Willamette Valley
