Winemaker Notes
The 2020 growing season was warm and dry; however, cool lake breezes contribute to the estates ability to slowly ripen fruit. The result is a textural Riesling with early spring bloom aromas and lush stone fruit flavors that are backed by structured acidity and lingering minerality.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Loads of white pepper, honeysuckle, peach and honey. Biscuit. Full-bodied, layered and structured. Stone and slate undertones. Flavourful and full of taste.
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Tasting Panel
A perfume of petrol mingles with honeysuckle on both the nose and palate. Fresh melon, spearmint, kiwi, and salted peanut brittle come across clean and lean, giving way to a finish finely etched with gunflint.
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Wine Enthusiast
Paul Hobbs’s Seneca Lake winery has cemented, in just a few short years, a spot at the top of NY Riesling. Only thesecond release, the 2020 is stunning. It’s lucid andbright, but also concentrated and powerful, witharomas of lemon pith, apricot kernel, orchard blossoms, talcum powder and nutmeg. The bone-dry,rock-strewn mineral palate is slippery, even a littleviscous, but it’s quickly drawn into center by a laserbeam of crystalline acidity. There’s a pulse of juicycitrus to the long, tingly finish. Drinking beautifully now, it has at least another decade of life left.
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Decanter
Fueled by a warmer, drier vintage, the 2020 is more showy and opulent than the first release—rich nutmeg and fleshy ripe peach aromatics introduce the wine. The palate is rich, with notes of petrol and wet stone back honeyed pear and ripe apricot.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From a warmer, drier year than either 2019 or 2021, Hillock & Hobbs has fashioned a slightly richer 2020 Dry Riesling Estate Vineyard. As it has matured, it has added an almost buttered-toast scent—similar to how some Australian Rieslings develop. Ripe apple and pineapple notes also appear on the nose, while the medium-bodied palate is rounded and reasonably expansive. According to owner-winemaker Paul Hobbs, a rainy spell in mid-August led to some botrytis, which may account for this wine's unique character.
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.