Chateau Montelena 2022 Potter Valley Riesling

Chateau Montelena 2022 Potter Valley Riesling

Even though the growing season in Potter Valley tends to lag behind Napa, the dry, mild winter led to an early start for the Riesling vines. Thankfully, spring weather proved to be ideal and uneventful. However, warm conditions heading into summer and a relatively light crop pushed ripening ahead of average. The intense heat at the beginning of harvest accelerated ripening further, but by the end of September the fruit had matured beautifully.

NOSE: The 2022 Riesling opens with ginger, a lot of ginger. It doesn’t happen every year, but when it does, it’s dazzling. Layered in are traditional aromas of apricot, lemon blossom, and dried peach. While there’s a hint of lime leaf, it tends to be masked at this stage by more opulent characteristics, revealing itself over time.

PALATE: Asian pear and cinnamon are immediately evident, lending depth and richness. This wine is surprisingly integrated given its youth, although there’s certainly more complexity lurking beneath the surface. Meyer lemon, honey candy, and dried pineapple lend a sense of hedonistic enjoyability, while the latent acid balances the lavishness with subtlety rather than austerity.

FINISH: At this point in time, the finish can only be described as supple, but not extravagant. Given the extravagance and concentration of the aromas and flavors, the delicacy of the finish draws you in for the next sip. Moreover, given the ripeness of the vintage, the balance of this wine is superb. It’s mouthcoating without being cloying, and rich without being fatiguing. It’s a sublime wine with incredible potential.

Sending Wine as a Gift: You may purchase wine as a gift as long as you and the intended recipient are both 21 years of age or older. The signature of an adult 21 years of age or older is required at delivery.   Wine also cannot be delivered to AL, CO, GA, KS, KY, ME, MI, MS, NY, OH, OK, SD, TX, UT, VT.