The Thinking Behind a Riesling Magnum

May 8, 2014–  Depending on your background, 1.5L bottles can mean different things.  To bargain shoppers at liquor stores, the magnum bottle means better value for everyday wines or a party.  To wine collectors, it means a special bottle to be cellared.

We’re happy to announce the release of a limited number of 1.5L magnum bottles of 2013 STV Estate Vineyard Riesling.  These 150 hand-numbered bottles are intended for the wine collectors of the world–people with the self-discipline to keep their hands off the contents for a few years to allow the wine to mature.

The main reason the flavor of a bottled wine changes over time is oxygen.  Natural cork is porous, so tiny amounts of oxygen enter the bottle through the cork over time.  In Riesling, aging leads to a softening of the acidity in the wine, and a development of oily and honey aromas.  A magnum bottle has the same size cork as a standard 750mL bottle, so the same amount of oxygen gets in.  However, the magnum has twice as much wine in it, so it ages more slowly.  We intend for people to age these magnum bottles for 5, 10, 15 or even 20 years!  At five years, it should still taste as fresh as a 2-year old Riesling.

Of course, there is no Wine Police who will come to your door to take your wine away if you drink it sooner than 5 years from now!  So while we intend these bottles for aging, there is nothing wrong with drinking them soon.  They make a very nice special occasion wine–think Thanksgiving dinner, a dinner party or a wedding gift.

Only 150 bottles of the 1.5L size were made… they are available for $60 each only at the Silver Thread tasting room.  Local carpenter Fish Woodworks made some custom wood gift boxes for the magnums, available for $15 each.

Updated 12/5/2023: Our 2021 Riesling “Estate Vineyard” is available to purchase – in the Silver Thread tasting room only – for $68.