Ludwig Riesling  2008 Hillside Vineyard, Santa Lucia   Highlands

The Santa Lucia Highlands appellation leans down toward the cold waters of the Monterey Bay. The region’s cool climate and limestone soils make it one of the remarkable vineyard sites in California. Our Hillside Vineyard is one of the oldest Riesling plantings on the mountain and the grapes consistently produce a rich and complex wine with vibrant floral aromas. As an expression of the terrior, we taste a fine mineral structure allayed with flavors of ginger and fresh honeysuckle.  The wine is fermented cold and stopped with a slight residual sugar of 0.70%. The wine is crisp and lively and designed to go with a wide array of foods but some of my favorite matches include rotisserie chicken, spicy pork chops or the fresh catch of the day procured from one of the seafaring boats docked at Moss Landing.    Only 172 cases produced.