We keep libraries of past vintages as a way to demonstrate the ability of our wines to age. We are pleased to re-release a few of these in limited quantities exclusively for our Key Club members. We have provided our suggestions of which to “drink” or “hold” as a general reference, but all Long Shadows wines are crafted to enjoy upon release as well as benefit from several years of cellaring.
The 2024 Poet's Leap Riesling is dry and mineral-driven, refreshingly thirst-quenching in apricot, melon, and light-bodied refinement, with a length of bright acidity. From the Gamache, Bacchus, and DuBrul vineyards, it is ready to drink now and over the next 6-8 years.
Best Buy - Every year I marvel at how such a marvelous Riesling can be $20. The Poet’s Leap opens with an aromatic ode to lychee fruit, honeysuckle, almond butter and a wisp of petrol. Lemony acidity curls itself around flavors like green honeydew melon, rose water and the sweetness of a slice of peach pie. The 2023 is as good as any in recent memory.
Truly one of the best Rieslings of the Pacific Northwest, the 2023 ‘Poet’s Leap’ is mainly comprised of old vine Riesling from the Sagemoor Vineyard as well as small parts from the famed DuBrul Vineyard in the Yakima Valley. This is mineral-laden stuff that offers freshly cut limes, green apple, petrol and salty minerals on the palate. With just a kiss of sweetness, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next eight years to come.
Cellar Stocker - Poet’s Leap is consistently at the very top of Washington’s list of best Riesling. This wine surely belongs there. Fruit comes predominantly from Sagemoor and Gamache vineyards in the White Bluffs along with a small amount from DuBrul in Yakima Valley. It’s aromatically expressive, with notes of lime zest, orange rind, white flower, wet slate, ginger, and citrus. Off-dry, full-bodied flavors deliver on all of that promise and more, with an explosion of fruit flavors. Lively acidity propels it all forward.
Spiced and zesty, this offers crushed apples, tangerines, fresh flowers and crushed stones. Juicy and bright, it has medium body with zippy acidity and a delicious finish. Flavorful and seductive.
The 2023 Poet's Leap Riesling is delicate and understated, with notes of shaved lemon zest, green melon, mint and hints of petrol. It mixes ripe orchard fruits and salty mineral tones with a core of brilliant acidity. This finishes with medium length and remarkable lift, leaving a suggestion of citrus sorbet on the finish.
How does this wine exist for $20? Such a value. Its Bosc pear and donut peach aromas are laced with notes of tangerine and gardenias. The Poet's silky texture and velvety mouthfeel escort flavors like lemon soda and mandarin orange slices. - Best Buy
Another incredible vintage of Riesling from the winemakers at Long Shadows, the 2022 Poet’s Leap actually leaps from the glass and into your senses. Made in a dry style with boisterous aromas of grated lime zest, stone fruits, red apples, crushed limestone, and just a hint of petrol, which will become more prominent as it ages. Elevated acidity keeps everything moving on the finish. I can see this wine aging incredibly well for a couple of decades.
The 2022 Poet’s Leap mainly comes from the Gamache Vineyard with vines that were planted in the 1980s. This wine was originally made in conjunction with German producer Armand Diel. Only 1 G/L sugar, this Trocken style has fantastic tension with petrol, lemon/lime zest, juicy white peach, wet stone and shades of Gravenstein apple. Nicely textured, this is gorgeous stuff that is amongst the finest made in Washington State.
The 2022 Poet's Leap Riesling impresses with its spicy bouquet of lemongrass, ginger, green melon, crushed stone and hints of petrol. This is soft textured and soothing, with a measured inner sweetness and salty mineral tones to contrast the ripe orchard fruits within. The 2022 leaves the palate completely refreshed and the mouth watering for more, finishing with hints of kiwi and candied lime. This is gorgeous, clocking in a just under one gram-per-liter of residual sugar.
Semi-sweet with 10 grams per liter sugar, this peachy, floral and delicate wine also offers a whiff of smoky petrol that's a signature of German Riesling. Light-bodied and refreshing, backed by good, tangy acidity.
How do I love thee? Let me sip the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height of your aromas and flavors of spicy baked pear, passion fruit, chilled Golden Delicious apple slices and ginger. Your acidity adds a glow to my palate, after which a trace of petrol drives me home. Editors' Choice, Best Buy.
Deeply concentrated, with terrific underlying finesse, this outstanding Riesling shows kiwi, wet slate and shades of lemon blossom on the nose. The viscosity is sensational here as layers of lemon oil, pink grapefruit and wet stone all combine, with a fantastic underlying minerality.
Always one of my favorite white wines coming out of Washington, this wine made by winemaker Gilles Nicault is such an incredible value for the money year after year. Notes of candied white peach, Key Lime zest, crushed wet gravel, and a hint of tangerine oil permeate the palate. Showing just a touch off-dry to help counteract the expansive acidity, this wine should age for 1-2 decades under proper cellaring.
Bright citrus, rosemary, honeyed lime, and some minerality all emerge from the 2021 Riesling Poet's Leap, another bright, refreshing, balanced, impeccably made example of this cuvée from Long Shadows. With solid mid-palate richness and nicely integrated acidity, you can safely drink bottles any time over the coming 10-15 years, it's that age-worthy.
Notes of dried apples and sliced pears with honeysuckle and honey. Medium to full-bodied with ripe, creamy stone fruit and vivid acidity. Fruity and slightly off-dry with a flavorful finish.
This shows intense detail and complexity in the aromas of lime zest, wet slate, white peach, flower and a whiff of botrytis. The palate is just a hair off-dry, balanced by electric acidity. It's a textbook picture of Washington Riesling at its best. Editors' Choice
Truly one of the great wines of its kind made in Washington. Given 1.1% g/L, it shows petrol and wet stones mingle with Japanese pear and gooseberry tones on the nose. The palate is fresh and beautifully textured with outstanding length. Orange blossom water, Sprite and sweetened cantaloupe flavors alongside crushed wet rock tones all impress on the nose. The verve, weight and length of the wine is really outstanding.
Aromas of honeysuckle, peach and dried herbs. Full-bodied with bright acidity and honeyed notes of apricot and lavender. Good intensity.
Fermented and aged completely in stainless steel tanks, the Rieslings from Long Shadows have always been a favorite of mine. I love the ageability of these wines. I have opened some from 10-15 years ago and they have aged perfectly. It does have a touch of residual sugar and sweetness on the palate. Lemon-lime, honey, and white flower blossoms form the core of this wine. Mouthwatering acidity and a medium body complete the wine. Drink this with some spicy Thai food and then thank me later. Best Buy.
Juicy green apple, lychee, and tart pineapple notes all emerge from the 2020 Riesling Poet's Leap, a medium-bodied, lively, balanced, impressively textured off-dry Riesling that can be drunk any time over the coming decade or more. It's surprising how well this wine can age, and it's certainly up with the top examples of the variety in Washington State.
Plentiful aromas of caliche and wet rock, followed by notes of lime and flowers. The palate drinks dry, full of citrus flavors, tightly wound with electric acidity.
It's got an aroma of freshly cut apple and lime juice, with a salty, mineral tang to the nose. The flavors are considerably richer than the aromas would indicate, slightly off-dry with a whiff of peach and a mineral edge to the texture. Pure and delicious, for summer sipping. - Year's Best US Riesling
Honeyed green apples, hints of lychee, and baking spice notes all emerge from the 2019 Poet's Leap Riesling, which is consistently one of the top examples of this variety from the New World. Medium-bodied, with a clean, mineral-laced style on the palate, it has notable acidity and a subtle off-dry style that's going to be incredibly versatile on the dinner table.
Peaches, white flowers, lemon curd and some toasty, musky notes on the nose. It's medium-bodied with sharp acidity and a creamy, peachy palate.
Another gorgeous vintage of one of my favorite Washington Rieslings, the 2019 does not disappoint. The nose expresses aromas of fresh peach, lime zest, ripe honeydew, petrol, and yellow flower blossoms. The palate is just as special with flavors of honey glazed nectarine, green melon, white peach, lime zest and blanched almonds. There is just a touch of residual sugar on the palate. This wine will age for a decade or more with the petrol notes increasing as time goes on. I cannot wait to taste this wine again in 5 and 10 years time.
Pure, subtle scents of green apple, lime oil, anise, licorice, ginger and dusty herbs, with riper notes of white stone fruits emerge with air. Penetrating, flavorful wine with an initial impression of sweetness leavened by ripe, harmonious acidity and accents of flowers, ginger and herbs.
The 2019 Poet’s Leap Riesling is another sensational effort that is truly one of the great wines of its kind made in Washington. Given 1.1% G/L, this shows petrol and wet stones mingle with Japanese pear and gooseberry tones on the nose. The palate is fresh and beautifully textured with outstanding length. Orange blossom water, Sprite and sweetened cantaloupe flavors alongside crushed wet rock tones all impress on the nose. The verve, weight and length of the wine is really outstanding.
The 2019 Poet's Leap Riesling became the darling for the wine by glass recommendation by America's top sommeliers. A lively Riesling with delicious minerality. - Wine of The Year By The Glass
From its precise, nicely concentrated aromas of sweet limes, peaches and honeysuckle to its continuously fruity flavors, this is a precise Riesling that hits all of the right varietal marks and does so without ever wavering in the least. Its slight bit of residual sugar is balanced by beautifully fit acidity, and it is thoroughly delicious now, yet, as evidenced by last September's report on Poet's Leap Rieslings dating back to the 2008 vintage, it, too, is a wine with a marvelously long life ahead and should evolve famously for a good decade or more.
Editors' Choice. Vibrant aromas of pear, flowers, Meyer lemon and herb are followed by off-dry drinking, medium-bodied Nestea iced tea flavors. Vibrant acidity backs it up, heightening the interest. It's delicious, but give it some time to open up.
Aside from Chateau Ste. Michelle, this estate consistently produces the best Riesling in the state. The 2018 Poet's Leap sports a lively gold hue to go with classy notes of sugared green apple, sappy herbs, mint, and hints of minerality. Medium-bodied, off-dry, and beautifully balanced, with a vibrant finish, it will evolve gracefully for over a decade.
A bright and floral Riesling that has musky, fresh and floral perfume and a very bright, fine and crisp palate. This is quality. The finesse and detail really impress.
Brought up all in stainless steel, the 2017 Riesling Poet's Leap is racy and exotic, with a rocking bouquet of green citrus, lime zest, and mint. Fresh, medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, and with a juicy, off dry style, it's terrific stuff that can be drunk today or cellared for a decade or more.
Displaying a focused nose with a good balance of fruit and flowers, the 2017 Riesling Poet's Leap is a winner. It opens with citrus blossoms and honeysuckle aromas over lemon and lime candy and soft peaches. Fermented and aged in stainless steel, the wine is clean and correct on the palate, with a core of zippy, fresh stone fruits and sweet citrus, embodying everything a Riesling should have. At this price point, this is a no-brainer! Energetic and bright, the squeaky-clean finish has an expression of lime candy and a kiss of sweetness. This may very well represent one of the top bottlings of Riesling currently coming out of Washington.
Editors' Choice. Generous aromas of lime leaf, citrus, wet slate and white peach lead to off-dry stone fruit and citrus flavors that stretch out on the palate. It brings a beautiful sense of acid balance with an impressively long finish.
This is a standout. Lime citrus and some more savory wet-stone notes. Really exciting nose. The palate delivers a pithy lime and apple impression. A fresh drink-now style that's gently off-dry.
The 2016 Poet's Leap is very pretty, offering up aromas of lime, lemon oil, white flowers and very subtle petrol that wouldn't be out of place in the Mosel. On the palate, it's light to medium-bodied, racy and mouthwatering, with lovely intensity and purity, concluding with a stony finish. It's a beautiful wine and carries a very modest price tag.
Smart Buy. Snappy and refined, offering expressive star fruit and slate aromas that lead to sleek apricot and spice flavors.
Taut, sharply focused and distinctive, with apricot, peach, Meyer lemon and slate elements that glide over an off-dry finish that doesn't quit.
The terrific 2015 Riesling Poet's Leap has 1.2% residual sugar, which is barely noticeable. Juicy, vibrant notes of green apple, citrus and lychee all emerge from this medium-bodied, fresh, clean, deliciously refreshing white that will be incredibly versatile on the dinner table. It will also age gracefully for a decade or more.
Silky, lively and elegant, with layers of pear, citrus, wax and floral flavors in lovely proportion, finishing harmoniously and slightly off-dry.
Tangy aromas of stone and citrus fruits, dusty brown spices, minerals and honey. Moderately sweet but with terrific acidity and saline minerality buffering the sugar and intensifying the fruit. A strong CO2 content gives the wine a youthful spritz. Tactile, bright Riesling with terrific retention of fruit.
Cellar Selection. One of the consistently finest Rieslings from the state, this is technically off dry, but feels dry given its exceptional acidity. Elegant citrus and floral aromas introduce a dense, textural mid-palate. A showcase of style and panache, its layered citrus and stone fruits bring both skin and flesh flavors into focus.
Rock-solid, the 2013 Poet's Leap Riesling is a delicious, lively and crisp white that offers plenty of mint, green citrus, and flint-like minerality to go with a medium-bodied profile on the palate that delivers a kiss of sweetness. Perfectly balanced.
Editors' Choice. Marvelous concentration and a panoply of lush orange, apricot, peach and papaya flavors carry this beautifully balanced wine through a long and satisfying finish. Delicious young, it could also be cellared for a decade or longer.
A beautiful Riesling, the 2012 Riesling Poet’s Leap offers up classy lychee nut, citrus peel and freshly crushed stone-like minerality as well as a medium-bodied, semi-dry palate-feel that’s buffered nicely by juicy, lip smacking acidity. It’s well done and while I would lean towards drinking bottles over the coming year or two, I was able to taste vintages going back through 2003, all of which were still in fine form.
Sinewy and elegant, with a tangy citrus scent and a hint of peppercorn, this feels finely knit and pure. The flavors lengthen after a day open and bring to bear a juicy, mouthwatering briskness, with a minerality that suggests a long, thrilling life in the cellar.
Editors' Choice. This shows lively acidity, with ripe but tart fruit and an alcohol level just slightly above 12%. The grapes used were sourced from the Benches (German clones) and old vine plantings at Dionysus. It's a lush Poet's Leap, lightly tasting of honey, and loaded with pretty flavors of Meyer lemon, ripe orange, and candied pineapple.
Editors' Choice. From an especially cool vintage that favored acidity and citrus, this Poet's Leap is a pretty wine, vibrant and full across the palate, with a mix of apple and peach flavors. Clean and balanced, it adds nuances of tea and finally a hint of honey in the extended finish.
Editor's Choice, #7 ranking in "Top 100 Wines of 2010". With residual sugar at about 1.35%, this balances the acidity without seeming sweet. Hand-picked and whole-cluster pressed, this immaculate, fresh, generous and stylish Riesling is always at the top of the list of Washington's best. Loaded with grapefruit, citrus and stone flavors, it cleans the palate and piles on the details as it rolls into a finish that lingers well over a full minute.
Editor's Choice, #8 ranking in "Top 100 Wines of 2009". The Poet’s Leap Riesling continues its string of outstanding vintages, once again exceptionally concentrated and complex. The high-acid 2008 vintage adds extra juicy vibrancy to the fruit, giving the wine an impression of dryness and dense, layered fruit component. A mix of old vine and German clones, this is a superb effort.
Poet’s Leap is the Long Shadows riesling project with German producer Armin Diel; it hails from multiple vineyard sources in 2008, including Wallula's biodynamic blocks. The style is plush, with citrus accents and hints of lees, and a texture that feels broad and immensely satisfying. The balance never falters, as if on guide wires; it's fine, poised for grilled char.
Loaded with honeysuckle, melon, pear, peach and hints of sweet grapefruit, this juicy wine perfectly captures the intensity of Washington Rieslings and the complexity of German wines.
The 2007, with estimable vineyard sources that include Wallula, Weinbau and Dionysus, is ripe and tropical, leading with peach accents and a wheaty scent of lees. The flavors are exuberant and fresh, the textures voluptuous, held to a lean contour by a firm, talc-like minerality that calls to mind Diel's home turf.
Aromas and flavors of musky ripe peach, ginger, nutmeg and earth; reminded me of a Nahe riesling. Juicy, intensely flavored and just off-dry, offering a satisfying supple texture and very good length.
Editors' Choice, #19 ranking in "Top 100 Wines of 2009". Old-vine Riesling from Dionysus and Weinbau form the core of the wine, which is immaculate, rich and generous. The fruits sound like a country fair in summer - melon, stone fruits, citrus, honey - and the mix of residual sugar and racy acids is thrillingly on target.
This bottling almost resembles Pinot Gris at first pass, its wheaty scents mingling with a heady aroma of white peach: those peach flavors explode on the palate, a seductive intensity that’s held in check with a thrilling line of acidity.
