Navarro Vineyards - 2020 Riesling

2020 Riesling
Anderson Valley, Mendocino
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Dry humor

Typically our Anderson Valley Rieslings contain a tiny amount of residual sugar—about 0.5%—from a small addition of sweet Riesling to a bone-dry wine. The final staff tasting for this 2020 bottling included five wines with varying levels of sweetness: completely dry and four wines with sweetness additions of 0.12%, 0.25%, 0.37% and 0.5%. The wine bottles were only identified by a number and the wines were tasted blind and rated. Perhaps we've been influenced by sampling dry, modern German Rieslings during the last few years; the tasting staff in this tasting all got excited about the wine labelled #36 and, once revealed, it was the wine with no sweetness added. This bottling is a blend selected from three vineyard blocks.

Dan harvesting the fruit from four Riesling vines—included as a small part of this bottling. We planted these vines almost 30 years ago against the barrel room wall. A friend had “imported” some cuttings from a famous German estate but we were concerned about introducing a new pest, so we planted them away from our vineyards.

Harvesting Campsite Riesling in September 2020. We pick four rows simultaneously with two sorters stationed at each bin; in adjacent rows buckets of grapes are passed under the vines to the sorters who dump the fruit and remove any leaves or unwanted clusters.

The largest component—45% of the cuvée—was harvested from the upper rows of our Campsite vineyard planted to clone FPS10 and contributes flavors similar to green apples. The second largest component—36% of the cuvée—was harvested from Valley Foothills Vineyard and adds a peach-like quality to the wine. The smallest lot—19% of the cuvée—is from the lower rows of our Campsite vineyard planted to clone N90 on an early ripening rootstock so its flavor suggests red apple more than green. This is a wine that pairs perfectly with Dungeness crab and Mendocino black cod; it is very dry and flavorful with a lengthy palate-cleansing finish that invites another taste. Gold Medal winner.

Specifications

Harvested: Sept. 10 to 24, 2020
Sugars at harvest: 22.8° Brix
Bottled: May 6, 2021
Cases produced: 1,368
Alcohol: 13.2%
Titratable acidity: 7.0 g/L
pH: 3.22

2021 Riesling, Anderson Valley

92 points. “This dry, delicate wine offers tempting floral aromas and precise white-peach and apricot flavors that light up the palate. Fermented and aged in large oak oval tanks, it has great balance and pure fruit flavors that make it easy to drink.” —Jim Gordon, Wine Enthusiast

2020 Riesling, Anderson Valley

“This pale straw-colored Riesling opens with a mild green apple and bee's wax bouquet with hints of lime zest and ginger. On the palate, this wine is light plus bodied with medium acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced, rounded and bright. The flavor profile a tasty ripe Anjou pear with notes of white pepper and Squirt soda. I also detected hints of ginger, chalky minerality, and saline towards the very end. The finish is dry and subtly fades away. This crowd-pleasing Riesling versatile, easy to drink and can be quaffed. Hence it will not last long, especially at the beach. With food, I would pair this very nice Riesling with broiled scallops.” —Ken Hoggins, Ken’s Wine Guide

91 points. “This light- to medium-bodied dry wine bursts with green-apple and mint aromas and fresh, juicy Pippin apple flavors on a smooth texture. It has a bit more heft than many similar wines without being too rich.” —Jim Gordon, Wine Enthusiast

2019 Riesling, Anderson Valley

“Navarro's Riesling is a classic wine that needs food for it to shine. On its own, this Riesling can come off a bit unpolished. The nose with packed with wildflowers, peaches, apricots, and lemon zest. The palate played on those same flavors and added notes of anise and chamomile. The acidity was a tad green giving the wine an unusual bitterness but only noticeable when consumed on its own. With food (dinner was herb-crusted chicken thighs) the wine sang like a bird in spring. A great reminder of how not all wines are meant to be cocktails.” —Nicolay Castro, Ken’s Wine Guide

2018 Riesling, Anderson Valley

89 points. “This medium-bodied wine is always a good choice. It balances a nice ripe fruit character against a tangy texture that keeps the plump peach and apricot flavors lively on the palate and lingering on the finish.” —Jim Gordon, Wine Enthusiast

2016 Riesling, Anderson Valley

"Dry, light-bodied but not wimpy, this crisp wine has a great structure built from acidity and plenty of Granny Smith apple and white-peach flavors to keep it interesting. A touch of ripeness on the palate rounds out the texture and helps give it a lingering finish." Jim Gordon, Wine Enthusiast, November 1, 2017.

2015 Riesling, Anderson Valley

“Deborah Cahn and Ted Bennett came to the Anderson Valley back in 1973 and recognized their property's cool, breezy hillsides as prime acreage for Alsatian-style wines. Fresh as can be and relatively low in alcohol at 12.8%, this bright, apple-blossom Riesling is a great supper picnic refresher.” —Betsy Andrews, “14 of the Anderson Valley’s Most Delicious Wines.” Food & Wine Magazine.

Bright, appley aromas and ripe apple and peach flavors make this light-bodied wine fresh and appealing. It tastes slightly off dry, with an engagingly smooth texture. Jim Gordon, Wine Enthusiast, February 1, 2017.

2014 Riesling, Anderson Valley

“This pale straw colored Riesling from Navarro opens with a fragrant pineapple bouquet with a hint of honey. On the palate, this wine is light bodied, balanced, fresh and right down the middle. The flavor profile is a mineral infused Anjou pear with hints of green tea and a touch of honey. The finish is pleasantly dry and drifts away and lingers for a long time. I would pair this Riesling with baked Brie with blueberry preserves and crusty French bread. Enjoy.” —Ken Hoggins, Ken's Wine Guide, April 30, 2016.

2012 Riesling, Anderson Valley

Multifaceted and sophisticated, this nearly dry Riesling packs in crisp apple and ripe peach notes. Deft balance and a lingering finish mean there’s a lot to like. Jim Gordon, Wine Enthusiast, August 1, 2013.

The soon-to-be released 2012 vintage from this winery in Mendocino County is one of the best dry Riesling ever made in California. Ted Bennett and Deborah Cahn have been perfecting the making of dry aromatic whites wines in this remote region for 40 years. The bouquet of white peach and apple blossom leaps out of the glass, and the wine combines ripe fruit with great elegance. Look out for equally elegant sweet Rieslings from this producer too. Stuart Pigott, Los Angeles Times, June 6th, 2014.

Mendocino County, USA "For me, the element of surprise is crucial, making some wines stand out head and shoulders above the crowd, and the bigger the surprise the more memorable the wine. This year I spent a great deal of time traveling around the wine regions of North America which produce riesling in order that my forthcoming book, 'Best White Wine on Earth,' is fully up to date. Everywhere I went, riesling was more or less on a roll. However, nothing prepared me for the brilliance of the 2012 dry Riesling from Navarro Vineyards in the Anderson Valley. With a ravishing bouquet of white peach and flowers, succulence, vibrancy and intensely mineral finish, it was everything a great dry riesling should be. Blind, I would have confidently placed it in Germany, as a number of colleagues I poured it for did. I never thought that California could do that. Together with gewürztraminer and pinot noir, this is one of the wine styles that Navarro's Ted Bennett and Deborah Cahn have been working to perfect since the 1970s.". Stuart Pigott, Wine-Searcher.com, December 23, 2013.

"I picked up a glass of the dry 2012 Riesling and smelt the honeysuckle in the hedgerows in the country lane in Southwest England where my grandparents lived during my childhood. Those are the kind of aromas you don’t forget, can’t forget, don’t and can’t ignore. However, it wasn’t just this “effect” which blew me away. No, it was the fact that this is a wine of pristine purity with a line of a straightness which nature ought not to allow (read Einstein and think about the logical consequences of what he says). Technically the wine was so perfect and although it had been bottles just two weeks ago it sung with a brilliance and energy which was seriously dangerous." Stuart Pigott, www.stuartpigott.de, June15, 2013.

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2011 Riesling, Anderson Valley

A dry, light-bodied, easy-drinking Riesling, this has zesty lemon and grapefruit flavors, plus undertones of flower and spiced tangerine. The palate shows depth, and the finish is intense. Virginie Boone, Wine Enthusiast, April 1, 2013 .

2010 Riesling, Anderson Valley

Best BuyThis wine's round texture gives it a generous feel, tightened by scents of flint, of dusty rose and tart pink grapefruit. It's a clean riesling with a hint of fusel in the finish. For stuffed cabbage. Joshua Greene, Wine & Spirits, August, 2012.

This dry version has a delicate note of minerality and attractive floral notes, with superb balancing acidity to help the wine develop for a few more years. Dan Berger, Vintage Experiences, June 21, 2012.

A terrific California Riesling, dry and zesty in acidity, with a firm minerality that gets the mouth watering. The orange and other citrus flavors are pure and clean. Good as an apéritif, and with spicy Asian fare. Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast, December 1, 2011 .

Classic fresh-cut apple and pear aroma, hint of TDN in the mid-palate, and a dry (.55 r.s.) finish with superb succulence. It should be better in a few years. Dan Berger, Vintage Experiences, Aug. 11, 2011.

2009 Riesling, Anderson Valley

This is one of the best dry styled Rieslings that I have covered so far this summer. It is pale yellow colored and opens with a green pear and candle wax like bouquet. There were also hints of apricot and honey. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced, crisp, and friendly. The flavor profile is a tasty and slightly tart green pear with notes of minerality and a hint of lime. The finish is dry and its flavors and mineral notes linger for some time after the wine is gone. Enjoy this Very Good Riesling at a clambake this summer with steamers with drawn butter. - Ken Ken Hoggins, www.KensWineGuide.com, August 14, 2011.

The lean, delicate, racy stone fruit aroma is matched to an angular, tart midpalate crispness, so there’s superb food compatibility. A great example of Anderson Valley’s hospitability to Alsace grapes. Dan Berger, Vintage Experiences, Aug. 12, 2010.

2007 White Riesling, Anderson Valley

Effusively fragrant, with crisp citrus, peach, candied citrus peel and floral notes. Effortlessly balances ripe flavors, a light body and refreshing acidity. Drink now. MaryAnn Worobiec, WineSpectator.com, Online Only.

offers racy lime and spiced apple flavorsLori Daniel, www.thegrapevine.com, March 4, 2009.

2006 White Riesling, Anderson Valley

This pale yellow colored wine opens with a fragrant and attractive lime and green apple bouquet with a hint of lavender. On the palate, this medium to full bodied wine is balanced, crisp, with nicely integrated acidity. The flavor profile is a lively lemon lime with notes of mild tea on the back palate. The finish is semi-dry and very refreshing. This wine would pair nicely with turkey or sole almandine. Enjoy – Ken- Ken Hoggins, www.KensWineGuide.com, December 26, 2008.

White flower, lime zest, fresh orange and mineral aromas and flavors; intense and focused; crisp, balanced finish.- Lynne Char Bennett, San Francisco Chronicle, November 7, 2008.

Dry and very crisp in acidity, with that petrol or diesel edge Riesling is known for, this is a distinctive wine. The other fla¬vors include peaches, oranges, honeysuckle flowers and spices. It's a beautiful wine that shows the classic noble structure of the Riesling grape - Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast, October, 2008.

Displays flavors of lime and wet stone. - Laurie Daniels, San Jose Mercury News, August 13, 2008.

Crisp and pretty, with honeysuckle and white peach aromas and supple Asian pear and spicy mineral flavors. Drink now. - Tim Fish, Wine Spectator, July 31, 2008.

2003 White Riesling, Anderson Valley

Exceptional. Subtle aroma of citrus and apple, with a hint of clove. Just barely off-dry. Lovely now, but better in a year. Try with sushi. - Dan Berger Vintage Experiences, August 25, 2005.

2002 White Riesling, Anderson Valley

A nice example of a California Riesling in the Alsatian style. Quite dry, but rich in fruity essence, with flavors of minerals, peach, citrus, slate and a pretty jasmine note. - Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast, December 31, 2004.

Here's a lively little white, loaded with fresh pear and peach aromas and showing crisp mineral flavors and that appealing oily texture you expect from Riesling. Drink now. - Wine Spectator, December 15, 2004.

The 2002 White Riesling is a lovely wine with a peachy aroma, just off dry, and a wonderful companion to light fare or as an aperitif. - Leonard Maran, San Francisco Spectrum, July 2004.

Reserved nose of tart green apple, spice, lime and mineral; brisk acidity on entry that almost becomes spicy; straightforward flavors echo nose; long juicy citrus finish. - San Francisco Chronicle, May 27, 2004.

Critics Gold. A honey nose, dry with good length. - Gerald Boyd, Critics Challenge International 2004.

Tight flavors of green grapes give this a mild, simple sweetness. The meatiness of the fruit may evolve into more complexity with a year or two of age. - Joshua Green, Wine & Spirits Magazine, "American New Releases", April 2004.

2001 White Riesling, Anderson Valley

Double Gold - Floral aroma of apple and pear, with hints of ginger. Faintly tropical and spicy with just enough sugar to make it broadly appealing. - Dan Berger’s Vintage Experiences, August 15, 2002.

California is home to several dry Riesling producers who have justly earned a reputation for taking the varietal seriously for many years, embracing it for all its nobility and expression. Yet the style is still a rarity here. Heading the list are those who have been dedicated to dry Riesling the longest, including Smith-Madrone, Stony Hill and Trefethen in the Napa Valley, Claiborne & Churchill in the Central Coast, Renaissance in the Sierra Foothills, and Navarro in Mendocino's Anderson Valley. The state's best dry Rieslings are steely wines with high-tone aromatics and palate-cleansing acidity. Flavors vary depending on appellation with ripe peach, apricot and tropical fruit from warmer areas (Napa Valley), and more white fruits (quince, pear and white peach) from cooler climes (Anderson Valley, Central Coast).
Navarro Vineyards 2001 White Riesling is outstanding. - Steve Pitcher, The Wine News, "Taking Dry Riesling's Measure - A World of Expressive Wines Proves the Varietal's Mettle", January 2003.