Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is more opulent (think ripe apricots and mangoes) with a richer texture that still masks the crisp acidity a bit. A couple more years of patience will surely be rewarded though. Also capable of long ageing.
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Wine & Spirits
Coming in half-dry, with 6.2 percent residual sugar, this is plush and golden, with a sweetly botrytized apricot scent and generous, ripe-fruited apple and pear flavors. It seems almost excessive, but the richness becomes compact and focused on the finish—an impressive feat, and a match for chicken curry. (125 cases)
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Wine Enthusiast
A thread of caramelized sugar laces elegantly throughout this perfumed, peachy wine. Slicked with honey, the palate is unctuously ripe but balanced neatly by a bracing strike of lime and lemon acidity. The finish is long, lingering on a kiss of floral blossoms.
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Wine Spectator
Quite ripe, featuring a forward, off-dry feel, with quince, almond and creamed apple notes. Has enough freshness to push through the rounded finish, where a heather detail chimes in.
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.
Increasingly garnering widespread and well-deserved attention, New York ranks third in wine production in the United States (after California and Washington). Divided into six AVAs—the Finger Lakes, Lake Erie, Hudson River, Long Island, Champlain Valley of New York and the Niagara Escarpment, which crosses over into Michigan as well as Ontario, Canada—the state experiences varied climates, but in general summers are warm and humid while winters are very cold and can carry the risk of frost well into the growing season.
The Finger Lakes region has long been responsible for some of the country’s finest Riesling, and is gaining traction with elegant, light-bodied Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc. Experimentation with cold-hardy European varieties is common, and recent years have seen the successful planting of grapes like Grüner Veltliner and Saperavi (from the Eastern European country of Georgia). Long Island, on the other hand, has a more maritime climate influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, and shares some viticultural characteristics with Bordeaux. Accordingly, the best wines here are made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The Niagara Escarpment is responsible for excellent ice wines, usually made from the hybrid variety, Vidal.