Charles Smith Charles and Blossom Fury Riesling 2024

Drink it now or cellar for up to 5 years. Serve well chilled.

Blossom Fury is the next chapter from visionary winemaker Charles Smith who founded his maverick winery House of Smith over 25 years ago in Walla Walla in Washington State. Charles was formerly a rock band manager before turning his hand to wine in 1999 and creating Washington’s largest winemaker-owned winery. He’s also one of the most celebrated winemakers in the United States, receiving perfect 100-point scores for his wines and being crowned Winemaker of the Year three times.

The Riesling for this cuvee comes from the Evergreen vineyard in Columbia Valley which was planted in 1998 by Jerry Milbrandt on a stretch of steep cliffs high above the Columbia River. This unique site enjoys the cooling effect of the nearby river and diverse soils of gravel, silt, and fragmented basalt from ancient ice age flooding. Charles chose this particular site for his Riesling thanks to the awesome freshness and minerality which gives this wine pitch-perfect balance.

In the winery fermentation happens in stainless steel with 10 months of ageing on the lees before bottling. Expect plenty of electric freshness, bright citrus, guava, and passion fruit. The harmony and balance makes this a great gastronomic wine, pairing beautifully with spicy Asian cuisine, salads and grilled vegetables, grilled fish, and chicken dishes.