On such a nice summer day it is difficult not to want a fresh crisp white wine to relax with. Today is one of those days and a 2010 Greenlane Estates Winery Old Vines Riesling is the wine of choice.
Greenlane is a relatively new player in the Niagara wine region. Located in the 20 Valley portion of Niagara, they have twenty two acres of plantings, some dating back to 1990. It is from these vines that this, their top Riesling, comes from. Released in June of this year, it is still only available from the winery itself, but expectations are the LCBO will soon be carrying it in a store/Vintages near you.
Unlike it’s younger and cheaper estate Riesling, this wine is a bold statement from winemaker Dianne Smith, formerly of Tawse and Southbrook vineyards. While very pale to the eye, the off-dry Riesling is not so on your palate. Tropical fruit jumps out at you immediately, with light hints of sharp green apple complementing it. The wine is neither harsh nor soft and it comes across very balanced with a velvety feel on your tongue. If you allow this wine to open and warm up you will fine it has complexities found commonly in Alsatian Rieslings. With almost no mineral or petrol notes this is definitely on the fruity side of the Riesling world.
Overall a very good offering, one which contributes to Niagara’s growing reputation of advanced Riesling wine crafting. It gets a solid 88 out of 100, and at $29.95 is worth putting into your fridge/cellar.
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