Best Buy! There’s still a market for tasty and balanced off-dry Riesling, and the tandem of Bob Bertheau and Wendy Stuckey comes through with this tier recently created for Chateau Ste. Michelle. Pretty aromas of rosewater, pineapple and peach also bring along hints of apple, apricot, beeswax and minerality. Inside, it’s a party in a glass with a lush tropical entry, backed by Honeycrisp apple, Bartlett pear and a souk spice market. That early spoonful of sweetness (4.3% residual sugar) is expertly balanced with high acidity and low pH (3.02). It’s a beautiful brunch wine — labeled as “medium sweet” on the International Riesling Foundation scale — that will be well-served with a fruit-and-cheese plate, Dungeness crab or spicy Asian fare.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 245,000 cases
Alcohol: 10.5%
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