Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
A rich dry riesling for the Finger Lakes that displays the tropical side of the warm 2020 vintage. Full mango, papaya and apricot aromas, plus considerable succulence on the expansive front and mid-palate make this easy to enjoy. Then it turns much cooler at the long, structured finish.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Dry Riesling No. 239 comes in with five grams of residual sugar, 7.8 of total acidity and 13.1% alcohol. This is quite a performance, often stunning. Showing superb concentration, this adds power and a long finish. There's plenty of tension, and the acidity slices through the fruit without the wine ever becoming shrill. It always emphasizes its fruit, but that fruit is always perfectly supported by the brilliant structure. It will need a food pairing to show its best. The only real question here is how much it might improve if you have the patience to cellar it for a few years. If it gets no better, it is still super. For the moment, it looks like one of the finest bargains in this report, which is full of them. Rating: 92+
-
Vinous
The 2020 Riesling Dry #239 is floral and ripe, with a lovely depth of rounded peach and pear fruit. A hint of marzipan and toasted spice rides through the finish. The warm vintage is clearly a help here. This is notable for its vibrancy.
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.