Martin's Lane 2016 Simes Vineyard Riesling 750ml

Simes Vineyard is a steep, north-facing site in East Kelowna with granite-based soils planted to pinot noir and a small amount of riesling. In 2016, the riesling was, as usual, the last to be picked, between October 4-12. The site is cool and soils marginal, precisely what you might demand to make a high-quality organic riesling. This is the Alsatian clone 49, rich in aromatics, freshness, and bright acidity, and the result is impressive. Bright lemon-lime fruit, rich in minerality, is dusted with a light covering of wild Okanagan sagebrush. The style is less extreme with more texture and less aggressive acidity, which adds to its likeability. An approachable food-friendly riesling you can drink now. Winemaker Shane Munn hails from New Zealand and has extensive winemaking experience, including stints in Burgundy, Barolo, and North America. He takes a micro view of the vineyard, working single blocks or rows of vines, and employing only gravity to move his wine five times through the six-level winery (a facility that tellingly does not contain a pump). In general, the riesling is hand sorted, and they do not crush all the berries before they go to press with no sulphur. The juice is settled and stirred, and the ferment runs 7 to 14 days at 16 to 18C before ageing on lees for seven months in 20 percent neutral French oak for richness and texture.

Score: 91 points -- Anthony Gismondi, March 2020