2004 Navarro - Late Harvest - Cluster Select - Riesling (Anderson Valley): Purchased at the winery in 2006 for $27.55.
This delivered in spades. A medium golden hue. A trace of orange peel on the nose gave away its New World origins, but the marmalade note was much more mild than most Californian late harvest rieslings. In the mouth, this has a sharp spine of acid and lots of botrytis – bracing but not objectionable. Mouthwatering would be the way to put it. Great tension: the acid and sweetness tugging in opposite directions. Some peach pit, some celery hints. Not as complex as a comparable German would be, but still excellent, and this seems young. If I had more, I’d sit on them for at least another five years. 92-ish. 10.5% ABV; 38% sugar by weight at harvest; 22% residual sugar by weight.
I don’t know how senstirive my palate is to sweet wines, I generally like most desert wines. The Trefethen is one that I’ve had a few times and like, just trying to calibrate.