Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Produced with fruit from mature vines on the southeast shore of Seneca Lake, this is world-class Riesling by any measure, featuring aromas of ripe apricot, citrus peel and fresh flowers with saline and mineral accents. The texture on the palate is tightly wound and taut, with just the slightest hint of sugar to balance the racy acidity. Impressive length and concentration on the finish.
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Vinous
From a warm, ripe vintage, the 2016 Dry Riesling Argetsinger Vineyard is a round, texturally rich wine with loads of marzipan, candied lemon and fresh apricot fruit. Slate-toned minerality lends intrigue. There's richness and balance for days—the 2016 is totally in the zone and has room to run.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Dry Riesling "Argetsinger Vineyard" has just three grams of sugar versus 8.1 grams of total acidity. It comes in at 12.8% alcohol. Fairly similar on paper to the 16 Falls this issue, this nonetheless is from a far better vintage. Not surprisingly, it feels far more substantial in mouthfeel. It adds a textured and richer finish too. Juicy, intense and lush at the same time, this is very pretty right now. It should still improve.
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Wine & Spirits
This 2016 is very tense at first pass, a leesy, grainy phenolic edge playing over litchi and pineapple fruit aromas, but there is a freshness to the flavors, with persistent acids that need a year in the cellar to tame.
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.