Sometimes forgotten as we fawn over the Pinot Noirs of the Willamette Valley is how well the Riesling grape does in this region. They achieve that magical balance of fruit, aromatics, and racy acidity that distinguishes their German and Austrian counterparts, as is gracefully demonstrated by this high-wire beauty from Ridgecrest. This is a relatively new label from Harry Peterson-Nedry of Chehalem (who, incidentally, hand-draws the labels) and his daughter, Wynne, who is the winemaker. Although the Ribbon Ridge AVA wasn’t made “official” until 2005, Peterson-Nedry saw its potential way back in the early 1980s, when he planted his first vineyard there. The AVA covers a “spur of ocean sediment uplift” at the northwest edge of the Chehalem Mountains. There are about 500 acres of vineyards in total planted on the ridge, which sits within the larger Chehalem Mountains appellation. The soils are dominated by ancient marine sediments (clay/sandstone/loam). This is food-friendly, razor-sharp Riesling with lots of stone fruit and wet-stone notes. Easily one of the best domestic Rieslings we’ve ever had!