Chateau Ste. Michelle and Dr. Loosen Introduce Eroica Gold!
Woodinville, Wash.
After setting the bar for high-end American Riesling 14 years ago with the debut of Eroica Riesling, the esteemed winemaking team of Chateau Ste. Michelle of Washington state and Ernst Loosen of Germany, is proud to present their latest collaboration, Eroica Gold!
Eroica Gold is a Washington Riesling made in a German botrytis style with racy acidity balanced by rich flavors and texture. The winemaking goal was to create a different statement for Columbia Valley Riesling that can be enjoyed young or evolve for decades to come. The suggested retail price of Eroica Gold is $28 with 2,500 cases produced. Released this fall, the 2012 Eroica Gold will initially be distributed in New York, New Jersey, California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Eroica Gold is also available on Chateau Ste. Michelle's online store at ste-michelle.com.
"The idea behind Eroica Gold was to do a different kind of sweet Riesling," says Ernst Loosen, owner and winemaker of Dr. Loosen estate. "Not a big, sticky dessert wine with a lot of botrytis influence, but something lighter and more delicate. It's more in the style of the Gold Capsule Auslese that we make in Germany, which for us means a special wine that's very concentrated, yet exceedingly elegant. The wine is absolutely gorgeous, and shows that Washington Riesling can achieve the same incredible range of styles as in the Old World."
To craft Eroica Gold, Ernst Loosen and Chateau Ste. Michelle winemaker Bob Bertheau selected fruit primarily from the Viewcrest Vineyard in the Yakima Valley and Chateau Ste. Michelle's 30-year-old Horse Heaven Vineyard, located adjacent to the Columbia River. Eroica begins in the vineyard with both winemakers collaborating on site selection, irrigation management, crop levels and canopy management. Ernst Loosen and Bob Bertheau come together again to blend the wine, considering dozens of small lots, each reflecting a slight difference in character depending on where the grapes were grown, resulting in the complexity of the final blend.
"Eroica Gold offers the best of both worlds, the bright natural acidity of our original Eroica Riesling with concentrated, ripe fruit flavors and a touch of sweetness," adds Bertheau. "Eroica Gold combines the trademark Washington acidity with German botrytis influence. The wine offers lush orange marmalade flavors with a crisp finish."
To help consumers understand the sweeter style of Eroica Gold, the wine bottle features the International Riesling Foundation's Riesling Taste Profile on the back label.
Launched in 1999, Eroica is a labor of love for two of the world’s great Riesling producers, Chateau Ste. Michelle of Washington and Ernst Loosen of Germany. An intermingling of Old and New World philosophies and techniques enables the crafting an extraordinary Riesling from Washington state grapes. Named for Beethoven’s Third Symphony, Eroica reflects not only its variety and site, but also its heritage: bold and forward from its Washington roots, elegant and refined from German inspiration. The award-winning Eroica portfolio includes Eroica Riesling, Single Berry Select (made in the traditional German Trockenbeerenauslese style and one of the few TBAs in North America), Eroica Ice Wine (when weather conditions allow) and the new Eroica Gold. Eroica is also the first American Riesling producer to offer aged Rieslings for the U.S. marketplace with the re-release of library vintages of Eroica and Single Berry Select each year. The partnership is committed to promoting Riesling around the globe and together they host the international Riesling Rendezvous conference in Seattle every three years. Riesling Rendezvous is the largest event dedicated to Riesling in the United States.
About Chateau Ste. Michelle
Founded in 1934, Chateau Ste. Michelle pioneered vinifera grape growing in Washington state and has been producing classic European varietal wines under the Ste. Michelle label since 1967. The winery combines an ongoing dedication to research with a commitment to classic winemaking traditions. The winery owns 3,500 acres of vineyards in the Columbia Valley of eastern Washington, including Canoe Ridge Estate and Cold Creek, which are LIVE and Salmon Safe certified. Chateau Ste. Michelle enjoys winemaking partnerships with two of the world’s most distinguished vintners. Col Solare is an alliance with Tuscany’s Piero Antinori and Eroica Riesling is a partnership with the Mosel’s Ernst Loosen. Chateau Ste. Michelle has been a champion of Riesling for more than 40 years and was among the first to plant Riesling in the state of Washington.
About Dr. Loosen Estate
The Dr. Loosen estate has a 200-year tradition of producing Riesling in Germany’s Mosel region. With his modern world view and his traditional approach to winemaking, Ernst Loosen strives to produce wines that unmistakably express the character of Riesling and of the vineyards where they are grown. Decanter magazine named Ernst Loosen 2005 “Man of the Year” for his perseverance in promoting and producing great Rieslings around the world.
©2013 Chateau Ste. Michelle, Woodinville, WA 98072
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For further information:
Lynda Eller
425-415-3364
lynda.eller@smwe.com
