Ernst Loosen and Bob Bertheau went back-to-back at the Platinum with their Eroica program, and this is the eighth time in the 22-year-history of the judging for their flagship work. (They’ve won a combined four more Platinums under the ice wine and Gold tiers.) Five vineyards factored into this one — primarily famed Evergreen (48%) and obscure Viewcrest Ranch (43%) — and it settles between dry/medium dry on the International Riesling Foundation Taste Profile because the 1.6% residual sugar gets checked by a wealth of lemon/lime juice. Atop that acidity are notes of white peach and apricot, while underneath is river rock and minerality. It’s bright, fun and yet sophisticated. Bertheau wouldn’t appear at a winemaker dinner if the restaurant didn’t have this on its list, and no serious wine consumer should be caught without a bottle in their cellar. Awards: Great Northwest Invitational (double gold), San Francisco Chronicle (best of class/double gold), Seattle Wine Awards (best of class/double gold), Savor NW (best of class/double gold), Sommeliers Choice (double gold).
Rating: Platinum, 93 points
Production: 11,500 cases
Alcohol: 12%
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