What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD)

Although this wine may not be one of my favorite Washington rieslings, I am better off for having tried a bottle, which I picked up at my local wine merchant for $11.50. As a result of opening the Milbrandt Vineyards 2006 Traditions Riesling, I was introduced to the larger story that is Butch and Jerry Milbrandt, brothers who extended their farming backgrounds to become winergrowers in the late 1990s.

The Milbrandt brothers farm 1,600 acres of grapes in 13 different vineyards, most of which are located in the Wahluke Slope AVA, with a few more situated in the Ancient Lakes area (under AVA application). In 2005, they started a winery and recently opened a new tasting room in Prosser.

You can read more about the Milbrandt history, people, and places on their web site, which is well designed and very informative. I especially liked the 3D maps offered in the Vineyards section of the site, which offer a useful frame of reference for elevation differences.

We served the Milbrandt Vineyards Traditions Riesling (12.5%) over two nights, first with trout and then with chicken teriyaki. For the first dinner, Kari used this wine to prepare a Riesling-Poached Steelhead Trout with Thyme dish which was accompanied with sides of rice pilaf and a zucchini gratin. On the second night, she prepared a chicken teriyaki dish with sauteed onions, steamed rice, and roasted bell peppers.

On the eyes, the Milbrandt riesling was a clear, golden yellow color. On the nose, it was a hard to pick up much fruit, which was just as fleeting on the palate. There was some acidity to the wine, offering a clean finish, with hints of minerality as well. But it seemed a bit flat overall. The finish was long with a lasting sweetness left on the tongue. On the second night

The back label described this riesling in the following way: "delicate aromas of orange blossom and exotic spice lead to flavors of peach and apricot balance with classic mineral notes." Unfortunately, I had a hard time picking much of any of these same aromas, let alone the stone fruit flavors. Even after the wine warmed up, the aromas and flavors remained muted.

Nonetheless, I am glad to have been introduced to Milbrandt Vineyards and look forward to visiting their tasting room in Prosser to experience more of their wine and connect further to the people and places behind this estate winery.

Useful Links Related to this Wine
Milbrandt Vineyards Tasting Notes
Wine Peeps