Wagner Vineyards Select Riesling 2011
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Wine Spectator
This has surprising depth for the vintage, exhibiting notes of anise, apple and bergamot that drive along nicely, backed by a juicy, engaging finish. Drink now through 2013.
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Wine & Spirits
Scents of hard-rind cheese, like a sweet Asiago, give way to fresh, clean fruit flavors of apple and pear, the leesiness declaring itself on the finish with pleasing cut. Best Buy.
Wagner is one of the Finger Lakes Region’s few estate wineries, which means that we grow all of the grapes used to produce our wine. We cultivate 20 grape varieties on 250 acres, all adjacent to or within a few miles of the winery.
The winery's prime location on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake contributes to the superior quality of the grapes. The unique combination of deep water (parts of Seneca Lake are over 600 feet deep) and sloping hillside provides a natural temperature moderator, protecting the vines against extreme temperature changes.
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.
Increasingly garnering widespread and well-deserved attention, New York ranks third in wine production in the United States (after California and Washington). Divided into six AVAs—the Finger Lakes, Lake Erie, Hudson River, Long Island, Champlain Valley of New York and the Niagara Escarpment, which crosses over into Michigan as well as Ontario, Canada—the state experiences varied climates, but in general summers are warm and humid while winters are very cold and can carry the risk of frost well into the growing season.
The Finger Lakes region has long been responsible for some of the country’s finest Riesling, and is gaining traction with elegant, light-bodied Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc. Experimentation with cold-hardy European varieties is common, and recent years have seen the successful planting of grapes like Grüner Veltliner and Saperavi (from the Eastern European country of Georgia). Long Island, on the other hand, has a more maritime climate influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, and shares some viticultural characteristics with Bordeaux. Accordingly, the best wines here are made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The Niagara Escarpment is responsible for excellent ice wines, usually made from the hybrid variety, Vidal.