
VINTAGE
The vintage of 2008 will definitely go down in history as one of the lowest yielding on record. The growing season started out cool and dry, but was followed by very warm weather during flowering which inhibited pollination of the grape berries resulting in fewer clusters and berries per cluster. The weather then immediately returned to cool and foggy, but fortunately White Riesling excels in the coldest years in the Arroyo Seco and 2008 proved to be just that. The small crop hastened ripening despite the fears of a protracted harvest with our first pick of White Riesling on October 16th and the final harvest on October 29th at 23.1° Brix and 0.60 grams/100 ml of acidity, with flavors of pear, lychee, white flowers and peach.
WHITE RIESLING
The release of the 2008 marks the thirty-second vintage of White Riesling from our Bay Mist vineyard in the town of Greenfield in Monterey County. The vines are grown in Chualar loam soils underlain by stones deposited from the Arroyo Seco. The winds of the Salinas Valley extended the growing season, and the fruit retained the natural grape acids. The pure manifestation of fruit from the vineyard is our primary goal in producing this varietal, employing a combination of cultured yeasts fermented in stainless steel.
TECHNICAL DATA
Origin: Bay Mist, Greenfield Vineyard
Composition: 94.5% White Riesling and 5.5% Gewurztraminer
Harvest Date: October 16th to 29th, 2008
Brix at Harvest: 23.1° average
Total Acidity: 0.67 g/100 ml
pH at Bottling: 3.20
Alcohol: 12.97% by volume
Residual Sugar: 2.16 g/100 ml
Vinification: Stainless steel fermented
60% VIN 13 (Terpene and thiol varietal character enhancing)
40% R-HST(Terpene varietal character enhancing)
Maturation: Seven months in stainless steel post fermentation
Bottling Date: May 26th, 2009
WINEMAKER’S COMMENTS
The 2008 J. Lohr Estates Bay Mist White Riesling is a vibrant brassy yellow color with enticing fruit aromas of pear, lychee, pippin apple, peach, rose petal and white flowers. The 2.16% residual sugar is balanced by the crisp grape acidity and natural spritz from a long cool fermentation, making the 2008 White Riesling an enticingly fruity, refreshing wine capable of complementing the vibrant flavors of Thai curried chicken, grilled soy-marinated salmon, or as an aperitif.
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