Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA (Tualatin Hills AVA)
Grapes: 100% Riesling
Body: Medium
Notes: Bruised yellow apple, white peach, chamomile tea, lemon verbena, and wet stone minerality, with a savory undertone, subtle phenolic grip, and a long, high-toned acidity
Pairing: Pork dumplings, spicy Thai green curry, continuous charcuterie boards, pan-seared trout, or rich goat cheese toast
The Producer
Maloof Wines is a wildly dynamic, deeply revered natural wine project co-founded by husband-and-wife duo Ross and Bee Maloof. Drawing on Ross’s extensive background in hospitality and Bee’s former career in aerospace engineering, the pair bonded over a shared passion for low-intervention winemaking before making the leap to Oregon's Willamette Valley.
In 2019, they took over a historic, high-elevation 70-acre property nestled in Gales Creek on the western edge of the Coast Range. Originally planted in the early 1970s, the estate features some of the oldest own-rooted vines in the region. They revitalized the site, naming it "No Clos Radio". Farming organically and dry-farming their plots, the Maloofs treat their cellar with an unpretentious, transparent approach: relying entirely on native wild yeast fermentations, avoiding heavy extraction, and bottling with minimal handling, no fining or filtration, and negligible sulfur additions.
The Wine
The 2024 "No Clos Radio" Riesling showcases the estate's high-elevation, old-vine Riesling parcel (planted in the early 1970s in the cool Tualatin Hills sub-AVA). Bypassing standard light-and-fruity tropes, Ross and Bee build a weightier, more textural profile through gentle hands-on winemaking.
The hand-harvested grapes are foot-trodden directly in picking bins and allowed to sit on their skins for a brief infusion period of a few hours to draw out complex aromatics and subtle structural phenolics. The juice is then given a long press and fermented spontaneously with native yeasts before aging over the winter in neutral oak puncheons and stainless steel drums. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, the 2024 vintage strikes a brilliant balance between savory, herbal depth and vivid electric tension; it masterfully pairs an intriguing nose of bruised orchard fruit, dry chamomile, and meadow grass with a mouthwatering, mineral-laced acidity that expands across the palate.
Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA (Tualatin Hills AVA)
Grapes: 100% Riesling
Body: Medium
Notes: Bruised yellow apple, white peach, chamomile tea, lemon verbena, and wet stone minerality, with a savory undertone, subtle phenolic grip, and a long, high-toned acidity
Pairing: Pork dumplings, spicy Thai green curry, continuous charcuterie boards, pan-seared trout, or rich goat cheese toast
The Producer
Maloof Wines is a wildly dynamic, deeply revered natural wine project co-founded by husband-and-wife duo Ross and Bee Maloof. Drawing on Ross’s extensive background in hospitality and Bee’s former career in aerospace engineering, the pair bonded over a shared passion for low-intervention winemaking before making the leap to Oregon's Willamette Valley.
In 2019, they took over a historic, high-elevation 70-acre property nestled in Gales Creek on the western edge of the Coast Range. Originally planted in the early 1970s, the estate features some of the oldest own-rooted vines in the region. They revitalized the site, naming it "No Clos Radio". Farming organically and dry-farming their plots, the Maloofs treat their cellar with an unpretentious, transparent approach: relying entirely on native wild yeast fermentations, avoiding heavy extraction, and bottling with minimal handling, no fining or filtration, and negligible sulfur additions.
The Wine
The 2024 "No Clos Radio" Riesling showcases the estate's high-elevation, old-vine Riesling parcel (planted in the early 1970s in the cool Tualatin Hills sub-AVA). Bypassing standard light-and-fruity tropes, Ross and Bee build a weightier, more textural profile through gentle hands-on winemaking.
The hand-harvested grapes are foot-trodden directly in picking bins and allowed to sit on their skins for a brief infusion period of a few hours to draw out complex aromatics and subtle structural phenolics. The juice is then given a long press and fermented spontaneously with native yeasts before aging over the winter in neutral oak puncheons and stainless steel drums. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, the 2024 vintage strikes a brilliant balance between savory, herbal depth and vivid electric tension; it masterfully pairs an intriguing nose of bruised orchard fruit, dry chamomile, and meadow grass with a mouthwatering, mineral-laced acidity that expands across the palate.
What is natural wine?
Natural wine is wine made with minimal intervention from the winemaker, using organically or biodynamically grown grapes and without the addition of chemicals or additives such as sulfites. The result is a wine that is unique, expressive, and often has a more complex and nuanced flavor profile than conventional wines. Natural wine is also often associated with sustainable and ethical farming practices, making it a popular choice for those interested in environmentally friendly and socially responsible products.