Sleight of Hand Cellars The Magician Riesling – No Joke

There are no illusions about just how tasty this wine is!

100% Riesling from the Evergreen Vineyard in the Ancient Lakes AVA in Columbia Valley, Washington. The vines have an average of 15 years and the wine is fermented in stainless steel.

The wine has an SRP of $20. Only 750 cases produced. Sample submitted for review.

From the winery:

The 2013 Magician is 100% Riesling from Evergreen Vineyard, located on the cliffs high above the Columbia River in the middle of Washington State. 2013 was a warm vintage but Evergreen’s cool site allows for extra hang time for the grapes, the result of which was more flavor, while maintaining the beautiful acidity that is the framework of this wine. Bright, crisp, and juicy are the hallmarks of this Riesling, full of green apple and pear notes, juicy minerality, and refreshing citrus notes. The subtle sweetness is perfectly balanced by the acids, and if ever there were a perfect wine for spicy foods, this is the one! Enjoy with your friends and family.

12.5% Alcohol

The 2013 Sleight of Hand Cellars The Magician Riesling opens with a very pleasant aroma of green apple, pear, citrus and just a touch of cinnamon. Taking a sip reveals a very refreshing wine with a lovely mouthfeel, a very slight effervescence and bright, crisp acidity. The wine is loaded with tart and juicy citrus fruit and tastes just slightly sweet thanks to a residual sugar of 10g/L. It finishes with a few touches of tropical fruit and tart citrus notes that last and last — you’ll be tasting this one for quite awhile after that last sip.

By the way, if you’re wondering about the “Sleight of Hand” name it actually comes from the Pearl Jam song (on the Binaural album). Winemaker Trey Busch is a huge fan of the band (evidently the tasting room in Walla Walla has quite a record collection) and felt the idea of the song, which talks about a guy going through the motions of life until he breaks out of the rut was the perfect fit for his own story. The name, in turn, inspired the names and labels for the rest of the Sleight of Hand Cellars line-up, all of which invoke vintage magic show posters from the 20s and 30s.