2020 Chileno Valley Vineyard Riesling

Fresh, bone dry Rieslings have long been one of this winemaker’s favorites (think Austria), so when Mark Pasternak offered us a small amount from his 25 year old, dry farmed Riesling vineyard in 2011 we jumped on it. The site is up on a bench above Chileno Valley, a picturesque, windswept neighborhood in northwest Marin. The Corda family planted 35 acres here in 1991 to a hodgepodge of varietals, most of which never ripened in the chilly climate. When Mark Pasternak took over the farming, everything got budded to Pinot Noir except for 4 acres that he was convinced would be perfect for the cold loving Riesling. Like most of Mark’s projects, his quality instincts were as good as his economic vision was questionable. The long, cold season down here gives a wine of laser brightness, complex minerality, low alcohol, and wonderful natural acidity. Riesling is a complex, expressive and beautifully aging varietal. As a newly bottled wine, it shows its focused fruit, steely minerality and fresh drinking acidity. With age, the classic white peach and grapefruit give way to rich apricot, lychee and earthy aromas and flavors. Either way, it’s a particularly enticing and vineyard-driven wine.