Finger Lakes Riesling: a brief study on these wines from this celebrated New York State wine region
I decided to open a few Rieslings from some of the best producers in the Finger Lakes, all of which had a bit of bottle age, to do a quick compare and contrast.
Red Newt Cellars The Knoll Riesling Lahoma Vineyards 2016 Finger Lakes, New York State
13.2% alcohol, pH 3.1, 5 g/l residual sugar. Fine aromatics with a hint of toast as well as direct citrus fruit on the nose. The palate is dry and concentrated with a slight pithy edge to the pure lemon and lime fruit, with subtle notes of apricot and honey. Has a long finish and the considerable acidity integrates beautifully. Just beginning to develop some secondary characters. There’s some warmth to the fruit here: it was a hot, dry vintage and it shows. 94/100
Dr Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling 2018 Finger Lakes, New York State
12% alcohol. Lovely aromatics of lime, honey and apricot, leading to a stony, mineral, quite dry palate with lovely brisk, open limey fruit with some peachy richness and a hint of canteloup melon and apricot, finishing with brisk lemony acidity. A really lovely expression of Riesling showing great precision but also massive drinkability. 93/100
Herman J Weimer HJW Bio Riesling 2017 Seneca Lake, Finger Lakes, New York State
12.5% alcohol. This is a rich, concentrated, luscious expression of Riesling with a touch of sweetness rounding off beautiful crystalline citrus fruit with a hint of honey and also some ripe peach and melon. Everything is in beautiful balance here: textural, rich, soft, but with enough acidity to keep all the disparate elements in line. 94/100
Ravines Dry Riesling 2017 Finger Lakes, New York State
12.5% alcohol. Mineral, refined and expressive, this has gorgeous crystalline citrus fruit with lovely balance between the fruit and the acidity, with perhaps just a touch of sweetness. As well as citrus there’s a bit of melon and pear richness. There’s a hint of sake, here, too. And maybe just a touch of creaminess. Really delicious. 93/100
Boundary Breaks Riesling Reserve 198 2018 Finger Lakes, New York State
8% alcohol. 198 is the clone of Riesling used here. Off-dry in style this has rich pear and peach fruit with some limey hints, as well as nice texture. Slightly honeyed, but with good acidity keeping things fresh. Beautifully judged: pure and textural, with a hint of oyster shell on the finish. 92/100
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