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Ridgecrest Wines 2016 RR Dry Riesling
A dad, a daughter, and a hill.
Oregon wine pioneer Harry Peterson-Nedry planted Ridgecrest Vineyard when his daughter Wynne was only 6 months old, some four decades ago. Wynne literally grew up on this hill – the very first vineyard on Ribbon Ridge, the smallest AVA in the Willamette Valley, and whose wines are today among the most sought-after in the world.
But Ridgecrest was the personal side project. Harry is well-known in the wine world as the founder of the Chehalem Winery. A roaring success, Chehalem grew and grew until it had a life of its own. Yearning for something smaller, something more personal, more family-oriented, Harry sold Chehalem to his partners and returned to his roots at Ridgecrest.
Along the way, Wynne followed in her dad’s footsteps. She became a winemaker and travelled all over the world to work in different wineries and hone her own perspective in wine. In 2009, she came back to the Valley, first at Chehalem and then, as head winemaker for Ridgecrest.
A dad, a daughter, and a hill. You’ll find that line on each of the bottles, reflecting Harry’s vision, Wynne’s deep knowledge of her childhood stomping grounds, and a magnificently-situated vineyard.
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Ridgecrest Wines, Newberg, Oregon
2016 RR Dry Riesling
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again until everyone hears it – this is not your grandmother’s Riesling! Riesling has been around since the 1500s and despite its reputation in the US as a sweet, unpalatable wine, it is one of the most collectible white wines among top wine connoisseurs around the world.
And what a treat it is to get to taste a Riesling from 2016. You’ll find lime leaf, lemon curd, and barely-ripe apricot on the nose. There is a small amount of residual sugar which balances out the sharp acidity and provides a lushness and viscosity that indicate a wine worthy of aging. On the palate, you’ll get ripe pears, white flowers, and a spicy ginger finish that will linger on your palate and keep you drinking until the bottle is gone. Rieslings are one of the best white wines in the world to age pulling out petrol notes and this bottle is perfect to drink right now.
As with most Rieslings, this is an incredibly food-friendly wine especially for soft cheeses and spicy foods – we recently finished a bottle of Ridgecrest with some excellent Thai take-out!
A Cellar 503 selection in March 2022, New World Wines Old World Style Ribbon Ridge | Riesling
