2024 Late Harvest Riesling

Philosophy
Late Harvest translates to Spätlese, which is German for “a special selection of the ripest grapes of the harvest”. In the United States, these wines are often very sweet, but here at Mari we seek balance. Although our Late Harvest is a lush wine with obvious sweetness, the focus is on the ripeness of the fruit flavor, not the residual sugar content. “Late Harvest” is a legally protected term—under law, no sugar can be added to increase sweetness or alcohol. It is a delicate balancing act of preserving underlying acid structure with the ripe fruit. The bird on the bottle is a symbol of Winemaker Sean O’Keefe’s journey as Mari’s winemaker—a magpie with a grape in its mouth, flying from a gilded birdcage, ready to stretch its creative wings.

Tasting Notes
A lush vintage, the 2024 Late Harvest Riesling balances soft acid structure with big fruit intensity. The warm season resulted in ripe wines across the spectrum, and a slow fermentation accentuated these characteristics in the Late Harvest. In contrast to cooler years, this vintage is rich with aromas of peach nectar, pomelo, and pineapple leading to a creamy, mouth-coating, honeyed texture and finishing with delicate notes of meyer lemon and grapefruit zest.

Vinification
The grapes were harvested from Jamieson Vineyard on October 22nd and 28th, 2024. Both pickings were pressed whole-cluster into separate stainless steel tanks and racked after two days of settling. After blending the two on January 21st, 2025, a slow fermentation continued through spring, tapering to a halt in April when it reached the right equilibrium. The finished wine was filtered on May 14th and bottled July 17th.

Pairing
Ripe fruit flavors in the wine are the perfect counterpoint to spicy pork street tacos, green curry, and coconut shrimp. Match sweeter notes in the wine with key lime pie and crème brûlée.

Cellaring
Riesling ages wonderfully and will evolve in character with maturity. We recommend enjoying this now through at least 2032.