Winemaker Notes
With depth and concentration, Caywood Dry Riesling remains true to its beginnings, showing a wildness and want not to be tamed, as well as respect for the local flora and fauna that it calls home. The landscape balances a sense of order and intention with unkempt beauty and natural awe.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2022 Dry Riesling Caywood Vineyard, from a super-low-yielding site in a very low-yielding vintage, benefits from the concentration imbued by both of those factors. Dry extract is off the charts, with a depth of salty, leesy fruit. White pear, mint, apricot and lemon oil unfurl in layers. It delicately balances phenolic grip and bright acids, coating every corner of the mouth with tart citrus juiciness. An extra measure of tension on the finish is so well judged. Excellent.
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.