Airfield Estates Riesling
WHY WE LOVE IT
- 100% Estate Grown.
- Airfield Estate Riesling displays ripe flavors, bountiful fruit aromas, and balanced acidity.
- This Riesling was crafted in the Kabinett style, which means that the grapes were harvested early in their sugar development, allowing Airfield to achieve flavors, ripeness, and brisk acidity. The objective was to create a wine with lower alcohol content, crisp acidity, and balanced natural residual sugar.
- Enjoy now through 2036 with optimal maturity in 2030 (enjoy at cool temperatures)
Varietal: 100% Riesling
Elaboration: Each vineyard block was meticulously managed to ensure a ripe crop by harvest. They were not de-stemmed but sent directly to the press as whole clusters. After a gentle pressing, the juice was settled for 72 hours before being separated from its lees to begin fermentation. We used a unique yeast strain isolated from German Riesling grapes to initiate fermentation, aiming to maintain fresh fruit characteristics. Fermentation took place at a cool temperature of 56 degrees for almost four weeks to yield fresh tropical and citrus notes. Fermentation was seized early to preserve some of the wine’s natural residual sugar and achieve balance on the palate. Post fermentation, the wine’s natural lees were stirred twice a month for two months to enhance the body and roundness of the wine. The wine was then settled and stabilized before bottling.
Tasting Notes: Aromas of white peach and mandarin with hints of golden raisin and floral notes, creating a beautiful bouquet in the glass. Light-bodied and refreshing, the palate reveals flavors of kiwi, passionfruit, lime, and candied lemon. Bright acidity and a hint of natural residual sugar foster a vibrant, racy impression, culminating in a clean, crisp finish.
PRESS
n/a
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Airfield Estates is a fourth-generation family vineyard based in the Yakima Valley, Washington. Today the winery is overseen by brother-sister duo Marcus Miller and Lori Stevens. The siblings prepared themselves for this endeavor. Marcus pursued an MBA in Finance and a degree in Viticulture and Enology, interning at Canoe Ridge in Walla Walla, he also worked as winemaker at Tsilan Cellars in Chelan and harvester at Montana Brancott Winery in Marlborough, New Zealand. Laurie obtained a Master’s in Wine Business from the University of Adelaide in Adelaide, South Australia, with a background in retail distribution management..
Prior to its farming days, Airfield Estates operated as a training base for hundreds of Army Air Corps pilots during World War II. The airbase closed in 1944, and the airplane hangars and other buildings were auctioned off to the Miller family for $1. The ranch produced alfalfa, asparagus, potatoes, onions, and oats, as well as cattle and hogs. Founder H. Lloyd Miller’s entrepreneurial spirit brought him in contact with President Roosevelt to find the funding for the Rosa Canal Project in the Yakima Valley, enabling irrigation water access from the high mountains to the soon-to-be established 830-acre winery. In 1967, Don Miller, the current owner’s grandfather, planted three “test” varietals, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, which would lead to more than 20 different varietals being greenhouse-propagated and commercially planted by 1971 as the oldest established AVA in Washington State.