Exploring Riesling in the Finger Lakes: a seminar
Riesling is such an interesting grape variety. In the spirit of exploring the landscape of Riesling and trying to see where the Finger Lakes wines fit in, we travelled to the Konstantin Frank winery on the west side of Keuka Lake.
Konstantin was born in Odessa in Ukraine and became a noted viticulturist. When he arrived in the Finger Lakes, everyone said you can’t grow vinifera varieties here because of the cold winters. But he knew that it wasn’t too cold to grow vinifera here because of his experiences in Odessa. He started with Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and ended up planting 66 different vinifera varieties.
Riesling was where it started, so this was a good place to hold this seminar at the FLXcursion with some interesting Rieslings poured in several flights. It was led by Stuart Pigott, Lisa Granick and Thomas Pastusak. This was a really good selection of Rieslings.
Dr Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese 2024 Mosel, Germany
Wonderfully exotic, tropical, floral citrus fruit nose with a vital palate showing concentrated, off-dry lemon and lime fruit with good acidity countering the sweetness. This is a beautiful, intense Riesling with real power. Just gorgeous. 94/100
Robert Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Spätlese 2024 Rheingau, Germany
This is powerful and limey with keen acidity as well as some sweetness. Textured, pure and intense with amazing tension, and an almost perfect balance between the sweetness and the acidity. Lovely. 94/100
Dönhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöle Riesling Spätlese 2024 Nahe, Germany (magnum)
This is concentrated with rich, off-dry citrus, pear and even some melon fruit, with nice acidity under the bold sweet fruit. Linear, with some sweetness and also good acidity, showing nice depth of fruit. Beautiful balance. Has a touch of chalkiness and saltiness on the finish. 94/100
Martin’s Lane Fritzi’s Vineyard Riesling 2025 Okanagan, Canada
This is concentrated and mineral with lovely tension to the crystalline citrus fruit, and a really nice floral twist. Concentrated, linear and mineral in the mouth, but also with some richness. Beautiful. 95/100
Galen Glen Stone Cellar Riesling 2024 Pennsylvania
Fresh, pure, dry and fruity with lovely melon and pear notes as well as some citrus. Nice texture and acidity with lovely flow across the palate. Crystalline finish. 93/100
Eva Fricke Lorch Dry Riesling 2024 Rheingau, Germany
This is concentrated and bold, and dry. Lovely focused citrus fruit with a bit of structure and nice acidity. Really fine and well balanced with good concentration, and a stony, mineral undercurrent. Finishes with good acidity. Lovely tapering finish. 95/100
AJ Adam Goldtröpfen Riesling Grosses Gewächs 2023 Mosel, Germany
There’s some depth here with pear and peach richness and just a touch of sweetness as well as crystalline citrus and a long finish where the acidity becomes apparent. So lovely with richness but also restraint. 94/100
Knewitz Hoingberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs 2024 Rheingau, Germany
Limestone. This is fresh and supple, with lovely generous fruit, showing crystalline citrus, nice spiciness, and good acidity. Lovely precision but also some pear, melon and apple depth. Lovely texture to this Riesling. 93/100
Weingut Heinrich Spindler Jesuitengarten Riesling Grosse Lage 2023 Pfalz, Germany
Dry and quite intense with bold limey fruit and nice structure and acidity. So tensile with high acid framing the generous fruit. Apple, lime and pear. Really full and quite intense. 94/100
Dr Bürklin-Wolf Gaisböhl Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2023 Pfalz, Germany
Lovely flesh here (melon, ripe pear) as well as some linear citrus fruit. There’s also a bit of structure. Juicy and with nice focus, this is juicy and fine with lovely depth. 94/100
Weingut Sommer Riesling When We See Edition No 1 2023 Leithaberg, Austria
This is so textural and alive, with bold crystalline citrus fruit and some richer melon notes, finishing crisp and spicy with some mineral detail. Crisp and energetic, and utterly delicious with some depth. 94/100
Nikolaihof Baumpresse Riesling 2015 Wachau, Austria
This is pressed in an old wooden press that’s 350 years old. Apple, pear and melon with some honey, but also chalky notes and then some citrus on the finish. So refined and sophisticated. This is deliciously layered, and has aged beautifully. 95/100
Forge Breakneck Creek Vineyard Dry Riesling 2023 Finger Lakes, New York
Concentrated and bold with vivid citrus fruit and a touch of pear and peach richness. There’s nice extract and depth here with good concentration of fruit. Slight salinity on the finish, and also a mineral streak. 94/100
Boundary Breaks Riesling Dry #239 2023 Finger Lakes, New York
Taut, bright, focused and aromatic with bold lemony fruit. Very pure with nice focus and intensity here. So juicy and pure, showing some richness to the citrus fruit. Very stylish. 92/100
Apollo’s Praise Pentecostal Block Dry Riesling 2024 Finger Lakes, New York
This is so beautifully textured with pear, peach and lemon, as well as some spicy detail. This has concentration and poise, with a hint of apricot richness. So expressive, showing generosity as well as tension. 95/100
Hillick & Hobbs Lower Terrace Riesling 2024 Finger Lakes, New York
This has depth and poise with some subtle oak influence, with nice concentration and depth. Lovely crystalline citrus fruit. Has a nice acid line, too. There’s such depth and focus to this wine. Really expressive with nice personality and depth. 94/100
