Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Olsen Estates Winery Introducing Two New Northwest Rarities

Olsen Estates Winery Introducing Two New Northwest Rarities
Botrytis Dessert Wine “Golden Berry Select” and a 100-percent Petit Verdot

PROSSER, Wash.—(August 12, 2009)—As the family behind Olsen Estates Winery continues to celebrate its centennial year in the Yakima Valley, they are adding two very rare and very distinctive wines to their repertoire: the 2007 Golden Berry Select ($75) and the 2007 Petit Verdot ($37).

Available September 8 and only in the Olsen Estates Tasting Room, the 2007 Golden Berry Select Botrytis Riesling is one of only a handful of its kind in the state of Washington.

This special, fascinating dessert wine is made in the German Trockenbeerenauslese style, a term meaning “selected harvest of dried berries.” What makes this wine unique is that the grapes, from which the wine is made, have contracted the fungus Botrytis cinerea, also known as “noble rot.” The fungus occurs naturally and only in certain rare and unpredictable conditions, determined by Mother Nature. It removes moisture from the grapes, causing them to shrivel, or “raisin,” thereby concentrating fruit acids, minerals and sugars.

2007 Golden Berry Select Botrytis Riesling ($75)
Aromas of honey, apricot, spice, citrus and floral notes follow through the palate,
finishing soft and tremendously long.
Fermentation: 85 days
Total production: 14 cases
Bottle Size: 375 ml.

“Conditions have to be perfect in the vineyards for “good” botrytis to grow, if we have too much moisture we end up with grey rot, which is completely unusable” said winemaker Kyle Johnson. “When our vineyard manager noticed it was happening, we were ecstatic at the chance to make something so extraordinary.”

Olsen’s second rarity is the 2007 Petit Verdot, released July 4 and available online and at the tasting room. While petit verdot is normally used as a blending grape, winemaker Kyle Johnson decided to bottle the wine as a single varietal after noticing its balanced and unusually soft tannins.

2007 Petit Verdot ($37)
100% barrel-aged for 16 months in 100% French oak (75% new oak)
Black cherry, tobacco and chocolate surround a core of
blackberry and cassis, with a long, luscious finish.
Total production: 200 cases
Bottle Size: 750 ml.

“This wine is very special to us as a family,” said winery manager Martin Olsen. “Not only is the varietal on its own unusual, but the grapes were grown in a vineyard on our family’s newly dedicated Olsen Hill and released in our family’s centennial year in the Yakima Valley.”

Olsen Estates Winery Olsen Estates Winery is located at 500 Merlot Drive, Prosser, Wash., in the Yakima Valley AVA. Known in the valley as longtime grape growers, the Olsen family unveiled their first vintage in 2006, made from only the best grapes from their 800-acre vineyards. Olsen Estates’ focus is on 100-percent-varietal and Rhône-style blends, crafted by winemaker Kyle Johnson. Tasting room hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday during the summer. The winery and surrounding grounds are also available for private events. For more information, call (509) 786-7007 or visit www.olsenestates.com.

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Editors Note: Samples of the Olsen Estates 2007 Petit Verdot are available by request. Due to the limited quantity of the 2007 Golden Berry Select, sample tastings are only available through the winery manager at the Olsen Estates tasting room.

Media Contact: Andrea Courtney

Randall PR / (206) 624-5757

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