*Since this item is sourced from a cooperating importer, it may take 1-2 business days longer than usual to ship.
90 points on the Parker scale! The secret to making European cool climate style Riesling in Santa Barbara
"Kick On Ranch" is a vineyard located at the westernmost end of Los Alamos Valley, one of Santa Barbara's three famous valleys.
This vineyard specializes in Pinot Noir and Riesling, grape varieties generally considered to be from cool regions, and there is a secret behind this that is unique to this region .
First of all, the Santa Barbara Valley stretches from east to west. It is a beautiful east-west shape that can be seen from an aerial photograph, and it is a shape that is not seen anywhere else on the west coast of the United States, let alone California. It works in the same way that cold wind blows through gaps in buildings, and the cold wind blows in from the ocean, making it cool. (Even in summer, if you're wearing light clothing, you'll get goosebumps!)
Also, being at the westernmost end of the valley means it is closer to the ocean, and is the first to be hit by the wind. California's ocean currents are known to be cold, with the ocean temperature around Santa Barbara being 18°C even in summer. When you compare this to the ocean temperature in Hawaii, which can reach nearly 27°C, you can see just how cold the wind is. (By the way, in Bordeaux, a famous wine region close to the sea in France, the ocean temperature in summer is 21°C, so it's even colder!)
This Riesling, grown in such a good environment, received a rating of 90 points from the famous wine critic Robert Parker .
Fresh lemon, lime and peach aromas with hints of wet stone and honey. A very finely balanced medium-bodied dry Riesling with a mineral and citrus finish that is very refreshing and long-lasting. It also has the potential for aging, so it's worth keeping in the cellar for 5-10 years.
Capacity: 750ml Alcohol 13.5%
*This product is purchased from a partner importer, so it may take an extra 1-2 business days to ship.
Winemaker Notes
Usually a few months after bottling this Riesling has more of a primary fruitiness in aroma, but this wine has a striking earthy prominence now. White tea, minerals and kaffir lime leaves up front, then lemon meringue, tangerine zest and some tough-to- place white fruit-cherimoya? No matter, this is delicious and vibrant dry Riesling that vintage to vintage surprises their tasting room guests who come in thinking that Riesling has to be sweet.
JD 92pts Jeb Dunnuck
Exotic lime, quince, and lychee nut notes emerge from the 2017 Riesling Kick On Vineyard and it's more dry and crisp than normal while still playing in the off-dry category. Medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, and just a joy to drink, it should keep nicely for upwards of a decade, although I see no need to delay gratification.
RP 90pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Riesling Kick On Ranch has a spicy, floral-tinged nose of musk, lemon-lime, petrichor and yellow peach with tropical fruits and honey touches in the background. The palate is medium-bodied and a bit weightier than expected but with lots of mineral and citrus zip and zing, finishing long and crisp. This has an appealing dichotomy of weight with fruit purity and delicacy.
750ml Alcohol 13.5%