Winemaker Notes
We pick the fruit for our Dry Riesling when it reaches a very ripe stage. At this level of ripeness, the fruit possesses dense, tropical flavors. It is rare to find such flavors in a dry Finger Lakes Riesling. We use only fruit from Riesling clone #239 for this wine. Not all Riesling vines are identical, and the different genetic strains are referred to as "clones". In our vineyard site, clone #239 allows us to achieve an ideal combination of ripeness and acidity.
Riesling is one of the world’s most food-friendly wines. Dry Rieslings tend to have a more angular and “structured” feel. They can pair very well with creamier foods or other dense preparations like fried chicken or fish. This Dry Riesling #239 has the body and weight to stand up to nearly any white meat, whether pork, chicken or seafood.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Dry Riesling No. 239, made by Kelby Russell at Red Newt, comes in with eight grams of residual sugar, 7.3 of acidity and 12.3% alcohol. The winery says that the goal here is to harvest at an "unusually high degree of ripeness and then ferment the wine dry," like a German Spätlese Trocken. Clean and transparent, this is pretty gorgeous. The first claim to fame is that ripeness—it seems surprisingly rich and fruity. It then adds a hint of sugar on the end. I was thinking: "Whaaaat? Isn't this the Dry Riesling?" The hammer then comes down and the acidity takes this wine over. It balances the fruit and eviscerates the sugar. As it airs and warms, this becomes simply gripping, typically seeming like a big-time wine with a small-time price. A super bargain, this looks like the best I've seen in the brand so far (and perhaps the best table wine I've seen from Boundary Breaks). It likely will age well too, although it does have that to prove in the cellar.
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James Suckling
This super vibrant dry riesling is brimming with white-peach and apple-blossom aromas. Although only medium-bodied, it is both juicy and crisp, ripe and energetic. The best thing is the long, very clean and rather mineral finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
A bright, effusive nose of pulverized limestone, freshly zested lime and white flowers offers a powerful start to this wine. The dry medium-bodied palate brings a complex mix of earthy, spicy and fruit elements, with flavors of crunchy yellow apple, lime, fresh ginger and tangy wet stone pushing through. A textured and tangy white-plum-skin note lingers on the finish.
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Wine & Spirits
From a cool, late vintage, this nervy white is lean, salty and mineral, mingling scents of parsley and apple. With air the wine acquires a juicy pineapple depth, broad and generous, while holding to its brisk tension. Best Buy
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.