Chateau St. Michelle Chateau St. Mich Riesling Eroica 2011

The 2006 Eroica delivers fresh mandarin orange and lime aromas and flavors with subtle mineral and slate notes. This Eroica shows the warm vintage through its slightly richer, bolder style than the previous vintage. Although slightly more fruit forward, the 2006 Eroica still achieves complexity from the diverse mix of vineyards we source from--including higher elevation vineyards on the fringes of the Columbia Valley, as well as the more traditional older vines from the Yakima Valley. - Bob Bertheau, Winemaker

Complex and compelling, this has a luscious mix of fruits that run the Riesling gamut. It's creamy and textural, fresh and primary, with exceptional aging potential and fine, juicy, natural acidity. - P.G. A light and tangy version, this is juicy with green apple and floral aromas and flavors, lingering on the deft, lightly sweet finish. Drink now through 2014. 24,000 cases made. -HS Pale yellow-straw. Sexy aromas of nectarine, ginger and nutmeg. Moderately sweet but not at all cloying, with nectarine, apple, pear and brown spice flavors complicated by a saline quality and perked up by white flowers and CO2. Not particularly gripping and very easy to drink. Finishes just off-dry, with a menthol nuance and a suggestion of crab apple that brought my score down.

Launched in 1999, Eroica is a labor of love for two of the world s great Riesling producers. One from the Old World, Dr. Loosen estate of Germany, and the other from the New World, Chateau Ste. Michelle of Washington State.

Complex and compelling, this has a luscious mix of fruits that run the Riesling gamut. It's creamy and textural, fresh and primary, with exceptional aging potential and fine, juicy, natural acidity.

Exudes mandarin orange and sweet lime aromas and flavors with subtle mineral notes. The mouth-watering acidity is beautifully balanced by flavorful Washington Riesling fruit.

Exudes mandarin orange and sweet lime aromas and flavors with subtle mineral notes. The mouth-watering acidity is beautifully balanced by flavorful Washington Riesling fruit.

Eroica has a proven ability to age; in fact it needs at least a half decade in the cellar to show its real strengths. Tight and packed with primary fruit flavors of lime and peach, this beautifully proportioned wine has perceptible sweetness but plenty of natural acidity. Lively and fresh today, but best given a few more years in the cellar. - P.G. The 2010 Eroica Riesling had just been bottled when I tasted it. It displays similar aromatics but with more elevated acidity, a characteristic of the vintage that provides considerable refreshment in the finish. Bright, pale yellow. Slightly candied aomas of nectarine, white peach, spring flowers and minerals. Off-dry and aromatic in the mouth but a bit one-dimensional, with moderate fruit intensity. Seemed to flatten out when the CO2 dissipated. Thins out on the back ending, finishing with hints of nuts and honey and a trace of warmth. ** SOLD OUT **