Wine By Nine

White Wine by Poet's Leap from Columbia Valley, Washington. The only white wine in the portfolio is the 2005 Poet's Leap Riesling made by Armin Diel of the renowned Schlossgut Diel in the Nahe River Valley of Germany. This splendid Riesling is light straw-colored with green highlights. It delivers a complex perfume of slate, mineral, a hint of petrol, spring flowers, honey, and green apple. Made in a Spatlese style, with just a touch of sweetness, the wine offers mouth-filling fruit, crisp acidity, and a long, pure finish. Drink it over the next several years with Asian cuisine or as an aperitif. Poet's Leap has no track record for longevity but this wine could well evolve in the manner of its German role model for those willing to set aside a few bottles. Long Shadows is a winery begun by Alan Shoup, the long-time CEO of Stimson Lane and Chateau Ste.-Michelle. It is a consortium of seven different brands (labels), each with its own star winemaker who has a 25% share in the brand. The concept is that each ?is dedicated to producing a single Columbia Valley wine representing a 'best of type' that reflects the winemaker's signature style.