Hermann J. Wiemer Magdalena Vineyard Riesling 2014
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James Suckling
As usual, the dry riesling from Magdalena is Wiemer's most powerful dry riesling with more stone-fruit aromas alongside the floral and lemon notes, and although the wine is rich and mouth-filling, there's more than enough acidity and mineral freshness to make this as subtle as it is delicious. Another Wiemer wine with great ageing potential!
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Wine Enthusiast
Sumptuous and hedonistic, this perfumed single-vineyard bottling shines a spotlight on luscious grapefruit, guava and pineapple flavors. It's decadently fruity, but crisp acidity and a delicate crushed-mineral undertone keep it fresh and invigorating.
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Wine Spectator
Very pure, with Jonagold apple, green almond and quince flavors that stream through, carried by finely beaded acidity and backed by a long, honeysuckle-edged finish. Drink now through 2019.
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Wine & Spirits
This dry riesling has plenty of depth, though freshness—lemony and bright—is its hallmark trait. The wine’s richer pear flavors follow that propulsive acidity, which pulls the fruit as if on a wire, leading to a crisp and lasting finish. (300 cases)
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Decanter
Magdalena is a vineyard located on the east-facing slopes of Lake Seneca that ripens fruit very well, typically producing more opulent styles of Riesling. This 2014 is honeyed and creamy with notes of mango and passion fruit on the nose. There is sweetness, but it does not overpower the wine at 8g/l of residual sugar, and the wine has the intensity, depth of flavour and citrusy acidity to carry the richness easily. Drinking Window 2020 - 2025
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Wine
Hermann Wiemer was born in Bernkastel, Germany into a family with 300 years experience in making the distinguished vinifera wines of the Mosel Valley. He arrived in the United States in 1968 already well versed in the European tradition of fine winemaking. To this heritage he added the skill of grafting fragile vinifera vines onto sturdy American rootstock.
In 1973 he bought 140 acres on the west side of Seneca Lake, which he planted with a variety of European vinifera grapevines. Visitors who wish to see these vines, along with ponds and the six acre nursery, can take the popular Vineyard Walk through the property.
The Winery, which produces 12,000 cases each year, was designed in 1982 by an award winning team of Cornell architects. Enclosed within the shell of a seventy-year-old scissor-trussed barn, it accommodates a laboratory, tasting and retail sales, a wine production area and a private tasting room. Its unique white cathedral-like interior counterpoints the bare wooden walls and sleek Italian stainless steel tanks.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
As the most historic wine-producing region in New York state, winemaking in the Finger Lakes area dates back to the 1820s and today as a region, accounts for 90% of the state’s total wine production.
Its narrow and deep lakes created by the movement of Ice Age glaciers create an environment similar to the classic Riesling-loving regions of Europe, namely Germany and Austria. The Finger Lakes retain summer heat that incidentally warms up cold winter air, making it fall down from the lakes’ steep slopes. When spring comes, the lakes, already cooled by cold winter weather, stave off vine budding until the danger of frost has subsided. The main lakes of the zone, that is those big enough to moderate the climate in this way, are the focal points of prime vineyard areas. They include Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca and Cayuga.
While Riesling has fueled most of the region’s success, today Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc enjoy some attention.