Daven Lore Winery 2013 Sweet Riesling, Yakima Valley, $15
Best Buy! Prosser, Wash., winemaker Gordon Taylor took two lots from nearby Sebastian Vineyard on Nov. 1, and both were at 23 Brix. For his Sweet Riesling program, he ended fermentation after 22 days. That was a week earlier than his Dry Riesling (1.2% residual sugar), so this stands at 4.8%. It makes for a delicious Riesling that’s loaded with dusty Wenatchee Valley orchard fruit — pear, apple, peach and apricot. The structure is luscious, sweet and a bit viscous, backed by complexity of peach fuzz, clove and nutmeg. Taylor serves this with Creme brûlée, dessert crepes and a fruit-and-cheese plate. Look for these wines at Yoke’s Fresh Market stores, Chocolate Box in Seattle, All Things Wine in Renton and the winery.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 44 cases
Alcohol: 11.5%
Sheila Nicholas says
Just one from Oregon? Over 40 of us recently conducted a technical tasting of pre-bottled 2014 Oregon Rieslings with exciting results. SmackDown?
Eric Degerman says
Greetings Sheila,
Thank you for taking the time to comment. Actually, there are three 2013 Rieslings from Oregon in that slideshow — South Stage Cellars, Willamette Valley Vineyards and Mt. Hood Winery. We’re looking forward to seeing the Rieslings coming out of Oregon from the 2014 vintage.