Freeman Winery

Ko-fu Riesling

The 2023 Ko-fu Riesling is our third wine from Abigail’s Vineyard, a short walk up the hill from our winery. We have always enjoyed Rieslings, especially those from Alsace, so we decided that this would be the only Freeman wine that isn’t made entirely from Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.

Abigail’s Vineyard, owned by our close friend Matthew Perry, was planted entirely to Pinot Noir in the mid-1990s and the fruit was primarily used for sparkling wine. In 2019, the Perrys—along with our friend, the talented winemaker Ross Cobb—budded-over 2 acres of Pinot Noir to Clone 17 Riesling. They believed that, like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Riesling would benefit from the area’s long, cool, foggy growing seasons. When they harvested their first Riesling crop in 2021, their prediction turned out to be spot on.

Riesling is an early-ripening variety, and it lends itself to being picked at a lower Brix and higher acidity than most other grapes. With the cold and rainy winter of 2024, we expected a late start to the growing season, similar to the unusually cold 2023 vintage. But things warmed up in March, and it ended up being a fairly normal year overall. We harvested the Abigail’s Riesling two weeks earlier than in 2023. Although the acidity was still on the higher side, the warmer 2024 weather brought the Riesling to a higher level of ripeness than in the previous year. For the second vintage in a row, we allowed the Ko-fu to complete its malolactic fermentation, to balance out the palate with slightly lower acidity and a more full-bodied mouthfeel.

The 2024 Ko-fu Riesling is our most classic example of an Alsatian-style Riesling to date; it’s amazing it was grown so close to the Freeman winery. The nose has elements of Granny Smith apples, delicate peach blossoms and subtle hay notes. On the palate, there is a full-bodied presence that reflects the ripe 2024 vintage. The tart acidity balances out the fruitiness, and there’s not a hint of residual sugar—even though you’d expect some sweetness from the beautiful aromas. Enjoy this from 2026 through 2030.