Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A powerful, textural and compact dry riesling for this region, with plenty of orange blossom, citrus zest and apricot skin character. Has quite some weight in the dry, structured finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Renowned biodynamic winery Hermann J. Wiemer purchased this long-standing Seneca Lake property in 2017 and has taken the farming and winemaking up a big notch. This bottling is hugely likable, as richly honeyed and aromatic as the radiant gold hue suggests, all honeysuckle, jasmine flower and tangerine citrus. The palate is round and creamy, the acidity glides along for the ride. An opulent, cheese board-friendly wine.
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.