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Collector's Corner: California Late Harvest Rieslings

LATE-HARVEST RIESLINGS

Acreage in White (Johannisberg) Riesling has dropped fairly radically in California vineyards, plunging from 6,839 acres in 1988 to but 2,329 acres in 2005 (with 19% of this total being new plantings in Monterey County). While this may limit the potential for seeing extraordinary dessert wines emerging from California wineries in 2006, it still seems likely that we will see some efforts to make an assortment of luscious dessert wines from the harvest.

Even growers in Napa County have commented about modest infestations of the mold Botrytis cincrea being noticeable on some Chardonnay clusters. Botrytis is a mold that effectively sucks water from the berries without reducing any of the sugar content and is responsible for some of the finest dessert wines ever made. This mold infestation was apparent to the growers despite really good weather conditions from Santa Cruz to Mendocino counties during the final ripening stages of the harvest. By contrast, the Central Coast experienced some late summer showers that suggest ripening conditions that will tempt interested winemakers to test their skills at producing late-harvest dessert wines.

White Riesling and Semillon have been the favored grape varieties for producing this type of wine but, given the small quantity still planted in these vines, it is likely that we'll also see dessert wines made from Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and various other white varieties grown in the Central Coast and in coastal areas further north. As a preview of what we might expect we pulled from our cellar four examples of California produced dessert Rieslings made in the late-'eighties:

LAWRENCE J BARGETTO WINERY 1989 Central Coast. Special Select Late Harvest White Riesling. Harvest sugar 36.0. Residual Sugar 20.2%. Alcohol 9%. Showing a deep golden color, the wine smells and tastes simple and sweet without a hint of being cloying or heavy. It has a supple, creamy texture and would be a splendid accompaniment for serving with slices of spice cake and fresh fruit.

FIELD STONE WINERY 1986 Alexander Valley. Late Harvest Individual Bunch Selected Johannisberg Riesling. Botrytis. Brix at Harvest 42º. Residual Sugar 21.8% by weight. Alcohol 10%. Dark amber in color and very dense and rich. Supple and lush impressions are offered on the palate and a slight burn is apparent in the otherwise clean, lengthy finish. This one has lovely scents and flavors reminiscent of dried peaches. It would serve well as dessert, all by itself.

FIRESTONE VINEYARD 1988 Santa Ynez Valley. The Ambassador's Vineyard. Select Harvest. Harvested at 36.0 sugar by weight. Residual sugar 16.8% by weight. Alcohol 10%. Medium amber in color. The wine is bothered by a slight moldy tone in its aromas yet has good acid and gives a pleasant fruity impression in the mouth. There is also a harsh note in the finish and neither of the less pleasing qualities of this wine would be noticeable if served with a cheese board.

JEKEL VINEYARDS 1988 Arroyo Seco. Late Harvest Riesling Sugar at harvest 35º Brix. Residual sugar 13.6% Alcohol 12%. Dark amber in color. The wine has a good, clean impression on the palate leading to flavors reminiscent of caramel candy suckers. The aftertaste seems to linger forever. This might be at its best served with an assortment of cookies.