Brooks Ara Riesling – A Harmonious and Delicious Saturday Splurge

Riesling from Willamette Valley, Oregon.

SRP of $25 and available for as low as $24. Sample received courtesy Brooks Wines for review purposes.

From the bottle:

“Ara, the altar, is a constellation. It is also a pursuit, an effort to craft the best Riesling possible from our favorite pieces in the cellar. The Riesling for this wine was sourced from two of the oldest vineyards in the Willamette Valley. 300 cases produced. Enjoy!

12.0% Alcohol”

This is the first of several wines we will be reviewing from Brooks Wines in Oregon. The philosophy behind today’s wine is simply to take the absolute best wine from the best vineyards and then find the optimal blend. Certainly sounds like a good plan! Brooks is a winery that is new to me, but not too many others — the 2006 vintage of this very wine was served at President Obama’s first White House State Dinner. I think this is also the first Riesling I’ve tried from Oregon, and I have to say I was quite impressed. So impressed, it calls for a Saturday Splurge.

The 2009 Brooks Ara Riesling begins with pleasant aromas of honeysuckle and a little citrus along with lots of floral notes. It is a little restrained at first but opens up nicely with some air. Tasting the wine shows lots of really good lemon and other citrus along with good acidity and crispness. There is also a nice mix of mineral notes. Don’t serve this one too cold to get the best flavor. Perhaps the best part is the very long and dry finish that features lots of succulent honey dipped citrus flavors. A harmonious and delicious Saturday Splurge.

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.