Kung Fu Girl Riesling

DESCRIPTION
2016, 100% RIESLING, WASHINGTON STATE

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TASTING NOTES
WHITE PEACH, MANDARIN ORANGE AND APRICOT ARE DELIVERED WITH A CORE OF MINERALITY THAT MAKES THE WINE SHIMMER WITH ENERGY AND FRESHNESS. ANOTHER EPIC VINTAGE OF KUNG FU GIRL.

Charles Smith Merlot
FOOD PAIRINGS
THAI OR CHINESE FOOD, FIVE SPICE PORK OR DUCK, FRESH SEAFOOD

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VINEYARDS
EVERGREEN VINEYARD

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AWARDS
90 POINTS & TOP 100 WINES OF 2016, WINE SPECTATOR, DECEMBER 31, 2016

Region Description

Most of the wineries in this state are located east of the Cascade Range, where the climate is desert-like, with hot days and cool nights. The irrigated vineyards produce high yield, but the flavor is nevertheless very good. Traditionally Rieslings have been the most successful here, but currently Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc are doing well. Chardonnay is successfully fermented in new oak barrels, yielding distinctively crisp and delicate flavors, like fresh apples. Washington Merlot, with its cherry flavors and aroma, tends to be more full-bodied, moderately tannic and slightly higher in alcohol than its Bordeaux cousins and higher in acidity than those from California. Acreage for the Syrah grape has increased substantially in the past few years, and in Washington it turns into big, dark, intensely concentrated wines with aromas and flavors of blackberries, black currants, roasted coffee and leather. A little-known German grape, Lemberger, does very well here. It produces a fruity but dry red wine in the Beaujolais or Dolcetto style.