2024 Vivier Wines Riesling The Other Ranch Anderson Valley 750 ml

Stéphane Vivier is one of Northern California’s true superstars: He was tapped by Aubert de Villaine of Burgundy’s iconic Domaine de la Romanée-Conti—known for making bottles that cost over $20,000 each—to head up his personal California outpost, Hyde de Villaine. Over his career, Vivier has built up the credibility to get him access to some of the most prestigious vineyards in the North Coast.

Stéphane always had a precocious nose. He grew up in a small village in Burgundy, and at the age of five he could guess what his mother was making for lunch just from the aromas. He had his first taste of Pinot Noir at age 10, and later learned winemaking from a neighbor whose family had been producing wine for centuries.

Now he’s completely focused on his own label, which he and his wife Dana initially bankrolled with a single credit card while producing a mere 30 cases. That number has grown only by a few hundred since then, despite demand reaching a fever pitch in recent years. Now, Vivier wines are staples at a number of fine-dining temples—including SingleThread, Eleven Madison Park, and Press.

And while his Pinots garner the most visibility, this brand-new Riesling caused perhaps the biggest stir when we recently tasted through his lineup. Simply put, it’s one of the best examples of the grape grown in California—one that’s made to honor his Alsatian grandmother, and so is done in the steely, bone-dry style that she would have grown up drinking.

It’s sourced from a small vineyard near Boonville in Anderson Valley, that was planted well over three decades ago to the Riesling vines Vivier now taps. Anderson Valley’s cool climate and mild fall weather are perfect for making dry Riesling, which needs long hang-times to develop flavors but doesn’t love extreme heat around harvest.

And although this is clearly a passion project for Stéphane, he barely makes any of this wine. Total production? A mere six barrels—less than 150 cases—of Riesling in the outstanding 2024 vintage. Bright and enticing in the glass, it’s an electric bottle that’s an ideal accompaniment to white fish with lemon, herbs, and olive oil or a punch salad crowned with goat cheese.