Winemaker Notes
Start your meal with hors d'oeuvres and our 2016 Dry Riesling. Pairs well with amuse bouches (literally, "happy mouth"), such as mini-quiches and gougères (cheese puffs).
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Dry Riesling Cuvée Classique was aged for ten months in tank only. There is no analysis available for things like residual sugar with this wine, as the winery just tastes the grapes. This was sourced from three sites: one terroir (planted in 1971) has a west-southwest exposure and is only shale stone, another terroir (planted in 1976) is east-southeast and is a mix of shale stone and clay, and the last terroir (planted in 1999) faces west-southwest and is only clay. Concentrated, fresh and deep, this has a beautiful expression of fruit but not a lot of zest. To some extent, that may be the producer's style, to another extent, the warm 2016 vintage. Still, there is good acidity underneath. The key here, though, is flavor (and a slight reductive hint). This, like so many of the producer's wines, is understated and seductive. There were 333 cases produced.
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.