2016 Rapt – Talking Points for Customer Education 

1. It is award winning!
   1. Received the Judge’s Selection award at 2021 Texsom competition – an international wine show – one of 50 given from thousands of wine entries from around the world
2. It’s intended for bottle aging
   1. The 2016 growing year was cooler and the acid in this fruit remained high (9 grams/liter) – we balanced this with residual sugar at 9 grams per liter (1:1 ration = dry) – still considered a dry wine but the acid has allowed it to age in the bottle – can hold for up to 10 years and it pairs perfectly with creamier dishes and spicy foods
3. Petrol notes are good!
   1. This is an aged Riesling - there are now notes of honey and petrol – petrol? – yes petrol.
   2. Petrol notes come from the chemical TDN – a byproduct of ACID HYDROLYSIS – this happens in aged wines from warm vineyard sites with much sunlight exposure and ripe fruit – more typical in high end Riesling from Alsace – but we did it in Michigan as the climate here continues its warming trend!

Yeast: 2016 

228 Steinburger (Starter yeast) - Geisenheim: Sensitive, doesn't compete well, does not create a lot of fruit esters.  Good at providing varietal characteristics. Turpines, are varietal drivers, enzymatic action cleaves to these turpines so that aromatics release.

W15 (Added to take over Steinburg and restart ferment)- not invasive, not major ester producer, tendency to produce glycerol at certain temps, not really effecting mouthfeel.  Produces a more viscous mouthfeel and sensation.  Good control of fermentation.  Good at showing varietal character.  

Style: 2016 - Hot summer, wet fall.  Good ripening.  Crop contained a bit of sour rot and around 10-15% botrytis which provided the wine with honey characteristics.  Drought stress, sunlight, TDN provides more petrol and atypical aging (too fast).

Fermentation was slow road out until mid-Feb. Good development of terpenes bound together with glucose will result in a slower release of the terpenes encouraging aging potential. 

talking points: