Dark canary morning-after pee yellow. Crushed fresh raspberry inundates the nose, followed by mellow fig-jam hollow-box filled with more raspberry and grassy spice. Wet wool blanket smothers Gerber applesauce and candy-corn into barely-noticeable sparkles.
Easily the most unusual Riesling I have ever encountered. From the dark color to the gobs and gobs of fruit–and not Gewurtz tropical standards either–berries and rosy subsidiaries, all quite odd for Riesling, but I like it. Why NOT make this variety a little less austere. If it is going to explode in popularity with the hipster-somm movement, let’s make something which doesn’t fit in the reams of faceless *lean & man* offerings. How about some fruit? I’m not saying we need to go all Semillion or Muscat crazy, but let’s make a playful–but rich–wine. EXACTLY what this is. It is no wonder this comes in a big heavy round-shouldered Burgundian bottle. It is your first clue this is a wine line none other and needs to be seriously considered.
In the mouth, strawberries and strawberries and strawberries and strawberries–this is indeed a most unusual Riesling. Scoops of frozen concentrated orange juice float delicately in this colloidal suspension of berry, while dirty green brilliance swells up underneath, supporting all in a Macy’s float of fancy ruffles of exuberance. Bright, bitter structure carries everything out forever and ever and ever and ever, berry still dancing…
2015 HAARMEYER ‘Wirz’ Riesling Wirz Vineyard Cienega Valley San Benito Co Central Coast 12.6
Stephen McConnell 