Winemaker Notes
The #239 refers to the specific clone of Riesling that they planted for this wine. This particular clone is thought to possess a slightly more acidic characteristic which lends itself better to a drier style of Riesling.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Remarkably ripe nose of peach, apricot and orange blossom nose for the challenging vintage. The elegance on the medium-bodied palate is also striking in this context, the balance of mineral acidity, stone fruit character and a hint of natural grape sweetness is spot on. Wet stone minerality at the long, very clean finish. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
Lifted layers of bright aromas from lemon peel, tangerine and honeycomb, to flint and herbs, offer a level of both complexity and crowd appeal. Tangy acidity on the palate neatly balances texture and fruit weight. Restrained but with focus and harmony.
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Wine & Spirits
Lemony and bright, this has a pronounced phenolic savor that's almost earthy in aspect. But it has a pleasing mid-palate richness to balance the phenolics, and plenty of acidity to finish crisp and long.
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.