Chateau Ste Michelle Reisling Ice Wine

A family member who just happens to be a sommelier brought a bottle of Chateau Ste. Michelle White Riesling 2003 for a few of us to share after a baby christening (he also brought a bottle of the award winning Chateau Ste. Michelle and Dr. Loosen Eroica Riesling 2004. Eroica Riesling 2004 review.) Never let it be said that this family doesn't know how to properly celebrate such a joyous occasion. What a special treat this wine tasting was!

The nose of this wine is of luscious, sweet fruit. My first impression was that of peaches and apricots. There is also a bit of a floral nose that makes the aroma seductively appealing. If you were having this wine at the culmination of a fine meal its scent would be a welcoming harbinger of things to come. This vintage has a nice forward quality.

The impression on the palate is even better than that of this wine's nose. Smooth, fruity, robust and chewy are descriptors that readily come to mind. The flavor is that of honey,apricots and pineapple. It is a thick, velvety wine that coats your mouth and the viscosity gives it a texture that you can almost chew. This wine has an alcohol content of 7.5% and would go particularly well with fresh fruit and soft cheeses.

Since I am a person who is apt to drink a dessert wine any time, I found this Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling Ice Wine to be exceptional. In fact, Wine Spectator gave it 95 points and called it the "wine dazzling in flavor". However, I might add that if someone does not like sweet wines, you may not appreciate this particular vintage since it has 29% residual sugar. But with my sweet tooth, it's a