This wine is inspired by great German wines and is made by respected winemaker Armin Diehl, owner of the famous Schlossgut Diehl in Germany.
The 2022 Poet's Leap Riesling is a fresh, vibrant wine with fragrant aromas of jasmine and citrus zest coupled with flavors of white peach, kumquat and ripe stone fruit.
Vibrant natural acidity and pleasant minerality give it a balanced mouthfeel and a long, clean finish.
The 2022 Poet's Leap features old vine Riesling grown at Sagemore's Gamache Vineyard.
Planted in the mid-1980s, the site is cooler than other parts of the Columbia Valley.
The Riesling grown here is known for its beautiful acidity and appealing citrus character.
Small amounts of Riesling from Bacchus Vineyards and Dubleu Vineyard in Yakima Valley are blended in to add minerality and attractive stone fruit character to the finished wine.
Despite unusual growing conditions that kept growers and winemakers on edge all season, the 2022 vintage will be remembered for producing beautiful, elegant wines with intense color and flavor.
Spring was cold and wet, and it didn't warm up until late June.
When temperatures finally rose, there was an explosion of new shoot growth, requiring special attention and care in the vineyards.
By early September it was clear that the yield would be high, but temperatures remained unseasonably cool, raising concerns about ripening.
However, by late September the weather had warmed up considerably.
Record high temperatures continued into late October, providing the grapes with the long hang time they needed to ripen.
The small amount of grapes hand-picked were selected and gently whole-cluster pressed to prevent bitterness, then fermented in stainless steel tanks at a lower temperature of 15°C to preserve the fresh fruit aromas and flavors.
After fermentation was complete, the winemakers carefully evaluated each lot to create perfectly balanced wines that showcase Riesling's clean, lively characteristics.
Long Shadows was founded in 2002 by Washington wine visionary Allen Shoop.
Shoop served as President and CEO of Chateau Ste. Michelle from 1984 to 2000, where he developed international winemaking partnerships with world-renowned Italian Piero Antinori (Col Solare) and German Dr. Loosen (Eroica Riesling).
Building on this success, Long Shadows was established to bring an elite group of great winemakers from the world's major wine regions to Washington State to create world-class wines that showcase the excellence of Washington State's Columbia Valley grape growing region.
Each winemaker partners individually with Shoop and the winery's resident winemaker, Jill Nicoll, to create their own quintessential, top-quality wine using their own vinification techniques and bottled in their own unique style.