After reigning for centuries as a noble and kindly old world varietal, Riesling’s reputation suffered an unfortunate blow.
The hit came in the 1970s and ‘80s, when a few reprobates exaggerated the grape’s sweet nature to turn out cloying wines aimed at the novice market. Their work was so thorough that even now many people dismiss Riesling as a simple, overtly sweet thing.
Just one bottle of the 2014 Riesling from Thorn Hill would, for this group, restore the varietal to its sovereign position.
The wine opens with fresh, floral aromas sharpened by a little intrigue. A blooming meadow sensation wafts above slices of pear, with the skins sauteing some feet away in just pressed juice. Behind this, a rustic tart impression reaches the olfactory senses — a quince bush, perhaps.
On the palate the floral notes appear to soften the fruit. Light skinned apple just off the tree and bursting with juice flow ahead of split nectarine.
“It’s like biting into a golden delicious apple — in a glass,” said winemaker Amy Thorn with a laugh. “I love the balance in the wine.”
Earthier notes temper the white fruit. The dripping wax of a honeycomb propped deep in the background rounds out the light apple. A hearty pomace impression then bolsters the fruit, lending a sylvan memory of apples, pears and other goods plucked and eaten in an orchard near a weathered barn. This continues through to the finish, even as a brisk bite of pineapple cleanses the palate.
Yet the Thorn Hill 2014 is not a parched, dry Riesling. With each breath and every sip, a fine candied aura wraps the wine — a rich sweetness, as if fresh juice had been reduced and tossed with the peel.
And there’s one more notion that emerges, particularly on the nose. Somewhere just beyond the flowers and fruits and intense pan juices a hint of diesel wafts in.
It may seem strange, but this last is a note celebrated by old world Riesling enthusiasts, for it is reminiscent of the great Alsatian labels.
Thorn traces her heritage back to Alsace. She intended the wine to follow the old style.
“For me, to make this was an honoring of family heritage,” she pointed out. “It’s very, very Alsatian.”
Because Riesling is keen to express its terroir, Thorn relied on grapes from a North Coast vineyard that cools dramatically in the evenings. She left a small amount of residual sugar — about 3 percent — and finished the wine in neutral barrels to add some depth.
The key to this gorgeous wine, however, was in that first step after harvest and the crush pad.
“The secret is a slower fermentation,” Thorn explained.
Picked at the end of September in 2014 at 19 brix, she allowed the yeast to work for a month at cool temperatures.
“You’re trying to stall fermentation,” Thorn said.
Her patience yielded a memorable, world-wise, almost contemplative white, yet one with a fresh, blossoming feel.
To sip Thorn Hill’s 2014 is to know the courtly beauty of Riesling.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
