Château Ste. Michelle / Dr. Loosen Eroica Riesling - Ice Wine - Halvflaske 2014

T H E P A R T N E R S H I P Since 1999, Chateau Ste. Michelle has partnered with famed German winemaker Ernst Loosen to produce Eroica, an ultra-premium off-dry Riesling, and Single Berry Select, a prized dessert wine. The partnership is dedicated to crafting extraordinary Riesling from Washington state grapes by joining Old World and New World philosophy and techniques. As part of the evolution of this inspired collaboration, Chateau Ste. Michelle and Ernst Loosen are pleased to present this very special Eroica Riesling Ice Wine. T A S T I N G N O T E S “ Chateau Ste. Michelle welcomed bitter cold temperatures on Oct. 31st by harvesting ice wine for only the fifth time in the winery’s 40-year history. (Ironically, the winery has picked ice wine grapes on October 31st for three out of the five years.) The Eroica Riesling Ice Wine is an exotic, luscious, ultra ripe wine with concentrated aromas and flavors of apricot and honey.” V I N E Y A R D S All of the necessary conditions for ice wine came together during the 2006 harvest – low temperatures below 14° F and ripe, healthy fruit still hanging on the vine. Eastern Washington’s climate with its potential temperature extremes is a perfect candidate to produce great ice wine in appropriate years. Riesling grapes were harvested from our Horse Heaven Vineyard, located in the Horse Heaven Hills adjacent to the Columbia River in Eastern Washington. Frozen grapes were picked from 2am-6am. W I N E M A K I N G Grapes were picked and pressed immediately while still frozen, releasing only the sweet, concentrated juice, leaving the water, in the form of ice, behind. Under pressure the berries gave up juice that was highly concentrated in sugar and flavor, yielding less than one-half the normal juice volume and nearly double the sugar concentration of juice from other white grape varieties. The juice underwent a slow, cold eight week fermentation to preserve the rich, concentrated Riesling aromas and natural fruit character. F O O D P A I R I N G S Fresh fruits, custards, soft cheeses, Spices: cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg