Everyone guessed Alto Adige — the whites from this region, regardless of variety, have this bright, zesty, frequently salty and spicy, high altitude appeal. But tasters were split on whether the wine was a Riesling or a Gewurztraminer, which are good guesses since Kerner is a cross between Riesling and Trollinger, and I find Kerner can show a lot of spicy and herbal notes reminiscent of Gewurztraminer.
The wine was well received, and it's always fine to taste a grape variety that is relatively rare. While many producers in Alto Adige make Kerner, in California there's only one planting.
Last week I received a sample of Sidebar Cellars' Kerner, sourced from the Mokelumne Glen Vineyard on the banks of Lodi, California's Mokelumne River. These Kerner vines were planted in 1998 in sandy loam soils, and are the sole California source of this grape.
I, for one, am stoked this vineyard exists. Sidebar is the project of renowned vintner David Ramey, and winemaker Lydia Cummins has crafted an exquisite wine in their 2017 Kerner. Here are my tasting notes...
2017 Sidebar Cellars Kerner - California, Central Valley, Lodi Mokelumne River
SRP: $25
Light yellow color. Whoa, the nose explodes with mango, lemon curd, lots of sea salt, verbena, oregano, green olives — how cool. Bright and inviting on the palate yet there’s a lovely creaminess (sur lie aging really gives it this great texture), a fascinating mouthfeel and balance. Yellow plums, mango, lemon curd, there’s a complex host of minerals, white tea, lemon verbena, oregano, sea salt, chalk dust. This is really cool, delicious, versatile stuff. 100% Kerner from the sandy loam soils of the Mokelumne Glen Vineyard. No maloactic fermentation, aged sur lie in stainless steel. (91 points)
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