Hermann J. Wiemer HJW Vineyard Riesling 2017
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Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Invigorating crispness and an appealing balance of flavors combine with an unprecedented minerality, which carries into an impressive and enduring finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A whiff of saline-drenched nectarine really catches your attention, as do the lighter tones of flint, nuts and flowers. Soft, round and generous in the mouth, this shows bright lemon zest, ripe peaches and suggestions of nutmeg with wet stone, all mingling nicely on the palate. The long, gratifying finish completes this fantastic bottling. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
Bright aromas of grapefruit peel, ripe apple and white blossoms carry the full, effusive nose. Medium in weight, the dry palate is driven by grapefruit and tangerine zest notes, lifted by earthy spice and filled out by a fleshy apple flavor. A grip of white tea brings a pleasing frame to it all, with tangerine peels lingering on the dry finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Riesling HJW Vineyard comes in with seven grams of residual sugar and 12.5% alcohol. This was sourced from HJW vines planted in 1977. This is what the winery calls Hermann Wiemer's "home site," his own, original plantings. After a slow start, this shows its acidity early and often. It is dry and sometimes a little piercing with fine length on the finish. As always, this projects excellent concentration and focus. It also shows a better expression of fruit in comparison to the HJW Bio in this vintage. You can certainly drink this now, but you'd be well advised to give it a few years in the cellar to develop.
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Wine & Spirits
Bright and fresh, this riesling from Wiemer’s oldest vineyard, planted in 1976, leads with salted apple scents against a mineral background. The flavors broaden with air, framed by an appealing dustiness. Still a ways from peak expression.
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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.