Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/735024
94 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 PACIFIC RIM 2012 Solstice Vineyard Riesling, Columbia Valley ($25) Shallow 18-inch top soil and poor organic matter on top of mineral-laced basalt bedrock are fine bedfellows that help drive the flavor profiles and showcase the terroir in this single-vineyard Riesling. At a 1,200-foot-high elevation in the Yakima Valley, this exposed site gets plenty of sunshine, and the old vines—up to 36 years of age—are on their own rootstock. Hand-picked and direct-pressed, only 100% native yeast fermentation, aged in foudres from the Mosel and aged sur lie for up to nine months, this age-worthy, screwcap-topped wine is limited to a 200-case production. "It's the TDN [ 1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene] compound that reveals the petrol nose," explains Nicolas Quille, General Manager and Head Winemaker for Pacific Rim. "TDN is prevalent in terpene-rich wines exposed to a lot of sunshine, such as Muscat, Riesling, Torrontés and Gewürztraminer. Winemakers should be able to control TDN," he adds; "while the chemical adds complexity, it can also add weight—but ultimately it's part of the terroir." Biodynamic and sustainable farming add to the appeal of Pacific Rim. The luxuri - ously textured wine displayed its terroir with notes of saffron, chamomile and sea salt. BANFI VINTNERS ACHAVAL FERRER 2013 Finca Altamira, Mendoza ($140) At the heart of the Argentinian wine industry lies Mendoza, and at the heart of Mendoza lies the single vineyards, or fincas, of Achaval Ferrer. Marcelo Victoria, co-founder and Global Ambassador, explains that in Mendoza, it's not about the soil; it's about the water and the climate. But even with the desert-like conditions of the high-elevation vine - yards—Finca Altamira at 3,444 feet—the biggest terroir takeaway comes from the ungrafted and often centuries-old vines. Victoria reminds us that ungrafted vines produce greater intensity and aging ARGENTINA WASHINGTON STATE Nicolas Quille is the winemaker for Pacific Rim in Washington's Columbia Valley.