Marietta Cellars Old Vine Riesling

“With rich aromatics of stone fruit, and honeysuckle, this dry, mineral-driven Riesling surprises with bright acid and a lean texture. Juicy, but clean and precise with a slate-like character on the finish.”
– Winemaker, Scot Bilbro

The Wine

Marietta’s Old Vine Riesling is the most recent and unique extension of the Old Vine series (or “OVR”). Originally intended as a gift for Scot’s partner, Lisa, who is German, the bone dry style of Riesling became a fan favorite and permanent addition. While it is the only wine is the lineup that is not estate grown, it comes from some of California’s oldest Riesling vines and offers an extraordinary value and delightful drinking experience. Farming: The Old Vine Riesling is made from 100% estate fruit, all of which is organically farmed

The Vineyards

The fruit for this wine comes from the Cole Ranch and Wirz Vineyards. Cole Ranch, a single, 55-acre vineyard at 1,400 feet in elevation, is the smallest AVA in the United States. Planted in the early 1970s by John Cole, this corner of Mendocino is remote, mountainous, and surrounded by redwood forests. Marked by a cool climate and it’s location atop the San Andreas Fault, this is a coveted source of Riesling. The second portion of the fruit come from the Wirz vineyard, four hours’ drive south and also atop the San Andreas Fault. Planted in 1965 and is now hand-tended by Pat Wirz, these dry-farmed vines are the oldest remaining riesling vines in California. These gnarled old vines rest at about 1,000 feet of elevation in the Gabilan Mountains, 25 miles east of Monterey Bay, on a bed of decomposed granite and limestone.

The Vintage

The 2018 harvest was a grower’s dream, though not without its exciting moments. Healthy spring rains and generous fruit set started the vintage off well, followed by a mild to cool August and September when harvest began slowly. Early October rains menaced the remainder of the harvest, but gave way to dry weather through the second half of October and November with beautiful sunny days which slowly ripened the remaining crop.