The success of Chateau Ste. Michelle's entry-level riesling, which has become amazingly popular, has convinced other wineries to step up efforts to produce and market their rieslings.
Case in point is the Stonecap (about $12, sample). The Washington state operation is the less-expensive winemaking sibling of the smallish and higher-priced Goose Ridge, and it offers four wines in the $12 range.
The Stonecap riesling is getting better. The 2007 is an improvement over the 2006, which was rough and raw in the mouth, hardly the way a riesling should be. It's also less alcoholic on the taste, another problem that the 2006 had. Look for some nice riesling oiliness in the 2007 and lots of tropical fruit in the middle. It's not dry, but not excessively so. The finish is a bit bitter, but that's something that will hopefully be corrected in the next vintage.
Drink this chilled with seafood, though I was a little surprised that it didn't pair better with the vegetable fajitas, guacamole and pinto beans that I tried it with on Saturday night.
Comments