2019 THE COMPOSER ENCORE
WINEMAKER’S NOTES
A classically styled Riesling with 5-years extended tirage. The wine has intense aromatics, fuller mid-palate due to extend tirage, and incisive acidity. Pale straw color with intense aromatics of green apple, lime peel, minerality, autolytic character, melon, lemongrass, and wildflowers. The aromatic complexity follows through on the palate with notes of mineral, autoltytic notes, wet stone, green apple, lime peel, and melon. Nuances of mineral, wildflowers, and lemongrass echo on the long, vibrant finish. High flavor intensity and moderate concentration on a tight, linear frame with vibrant acidity. Strong lees texture imparted from a 5 year elevage on fine lees in neutral oak barrels. Properly cellared it should gracefully evolve over the next decade.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
100% Riesling, blend of 3 clones - Geisenheim 110, Geisenheim 198 and Neustadt 90 from Bacchus and Dionysus Vineyards. This wine underwent a 60% neutral oak fermentation and 40% stainless steel fermentation. The wine was then aged for 5 years on fine lees in neutral oak and stainless steel barrels. Has 2.3 g/L residual sugar, TA 7.6 g/L, pH 3.09, ethanol 12.9%.
CASES PRODUCED 67
VARIETAL Riesling
APPELLATION Bacchus Vineyard, White Bluffs
LABEL STORY
The terroir in eastern Washington is conducive to making truly great Riesling. Some of the vineyard sites, like the White Bluffs AVA, are on par with the best Riesling regions in the world.
The Composer Encore, our extended tirage Riesling, is a single-vineyard blend of the Geisenheim 198 and Neustadt 90 clones of Riesling. The vines were planted in 2005 in Bacchus Vineyard in the White Bluffs AVA. We have aged the wine on its lees for 5 years, which has allowed for an added dimension of complexity, depth, and compelling mouthfeel.
This wine is made in a dry style and, with the extended lees aging, offers a unique and beautiful expression of Riesling.