Winemaker Notes
This Riesling comes from their vineyard on the east side of Seneca Lake, less than one mile from Red Newt Cellars. Exemplary attention in the vineyard yields fruit that is opulent, but focused. 2009 was an exceptional vintage for Riesling in the Finger Lakes, and marks the first year of Red Newt single vineyard bottlings of Riesling.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Fine and high toned, this wine's sweet peach scents meld with hints of fusel and leafy herbs. The flavors are unexpectedly broad and hefty, with caramel sweetness and a sneaky acidity that gives the wine sinuous tension. Serve with Sichuan chicken.
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Wine Spectator
Very focused and persistent, with excellent cut to the lime, chalk dust, slate and pippin apple flavors. A floral note weaves through the finish. This has the cut and drive to age a bit as well. Drink now through 2012.
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.