Winemaker Notes
#56 Vinous Top 100 of 2025
The Knoll is always intriguing as a wine of contrast. Rose petal and ripe grapefruit aromas are underlaid by a distinct smokiness. A rich and explosive palate of apricot marmalade and lemon curd, but with an intense grapefruit pith character and salinity. A long finish of ripe blood orange, but with a burst of bracing acidity several seconds later. These combinations of opul.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This extraordinary Finger Lakes dry riesling has mind-blowing concentration and energy. The intensity of yellow grapefruit and wild herb aromas is off the scale. Still very tightly wound, this has clearly been made for the long term. In spite of its deep structure, it's really silky on the compact, medium-bodied palate. Dense, extremely minerally finish that takes your breathe away. Hand-picked and sold-soaked for five days before wild fermentation in stainless steel.
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Vinous
The 2024 Riesling The Knoll Lahoma Vineyard is beautifully complete. Brooding and intense, the 2024 is both cerebral and generous, with a notable bump in mid-palate heft born from the warm growing season. Taut, linear citrus fruit meets a touch of petrol as layers of slate, chalk, lime zest, ginger and white pepper unfurl with supreme focus. The breadth and palate presence here are particularly impressive, driven by power and a sense of quiet intensity. This is a truly confident interpretation of Finger Lakes Riesling. An archetype for the region.
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.