As head winemaker for Chateau Ste. Michelle during the 1990s, Mike Januik oversaw the program that one day would become the world’s largest producer of Riesling. Bacchus Vineyard, part of Sagemoor Farms, earned Januik’s attention along the way. Among the features at this site near the Columbia River north of Pasco, Wash., are the expressions by two of Germany’s leading clones — Geisenheim 198 and Neustadt 90. This bottling is undeniably Riesling from the start, offering classic notes of lime and jasmine with a whiff of fresh linen and nutmeg. Inside, it leads with lime, picks up Granny Smith apple, a scrap of slate and finishes with a fleshy bite of Bosc pear. The profile is brisk and mouthwatering, yet not nerdy.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 222 cases
Alcohol: 12.5%
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