Back in 2009, when Clare and I were visiting Willamette Valley vineyards on our honeymoon, we had the pleasure of getting a behind the scenes tour of Sokol Blosser, which is a great vineyard and winery in Dundee, Oregon. After the tour, we returned to the tasting room, where were had the opportunity to sample some great wines, such as Sokol Blosser's Pinot Noir. After finishing our tasting and as we were buying a couple of bottles of wine to take with us, one of the tasting room employees pulled out a little bottle of "ice wine." The wine was Sokol Blosser's 2007 White Riesling. He poured a little sample for each of us and, after we sipped the wine, we added a bottle to our order.
White Riesling grapes -- or Johanissberg Riesling grapes -- generally produce dry wines that are sweeter than other white wines. However, when the vineyard allows the grapes to continue to ripen on the vines after the harvest, the flavor of and the sugars in the grapes becomes more concentrated. The result is a much sweeter wine, with a higher alcohol content, that usually makes a good, if not great, dessert wine.
Rather than open any bottle of bubbly to celebrate the new year, Clare and I decided to open our bottle of Sokol Blosser's 2007 White Riesling. The wine pours a beautiful, light gold color. As you take in the aromatic elements of the wine, you get a sense of candied peaches and apricots. These aromas are also very pronounced in the taste of the wine. As you drink the wine, you get a smooth, sugary experience of tasting apples, peaches and apricots. You also get an interesting contrast, as you can also taste pears hiding behind the other fruit. As you drink the wine your tongue and mouth get coated with a sugary feeling that does last for a while.
This dessert wine is very good and I would highly recommend it. The wine is generally available for order over the Internet at $40.00 per bottle.
ENJOY!
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