We've been slowly rolling out the '08 vintage and they have been fantastic - I've mentioned how much I love the '08 Gewurz and the '08 Late Harvest Riesling. Last night I got to taste some more '08s, including the Dry Riesling, Reserve Dry Riesling, HJW Dry Riesling, and Magdalena Dry Riesling. What a crew! These wines are delicious. I particularly love the HJW and Magdalena single-vineyard bottlings. It is so interesting to taste the differences due to the variances in these 2 vineyard sites. Soil and mesoclimate are the main factors that contribute to the contrast in these 2 wines - the Magdalena site is a few degrees warmer, and note the soil differences here between all 3 sites:
Of course, it's the blending from the 3 sites that results in the consistency and vibrancy of the Dry Riesling and the elegance of the Reserve Dry Riesling.
Check out what James Molesworth of Wine Spectator had to say about these members of the 2008 Riesling lineup: http://www.winespectator.com/blogs/show/id/41236
A couple more unreleased wines that I got to try: 2008 Select Late Harvest Riesling (a beautiful dessert wine with honeyed apricots on the palate) and 2003 Blanc de Noir (85% Pinot Noir and 15% Chardonnay - sparkling wine) that sat on the lees for 4.5 years before disgorging (nutty, brioche character with really fine, well-integrated bubbles on the palate).
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