I’ve become a bit jaded about Finger Lakes riesling — but I don’t mean that to sound as bad as I know it does. But after so many years tasting so many good-to-great rieslings, I’ve come to expect it in a sense. I don’t want to say that I take it for granted because I don’t. There is still a lot of mediocre (or worse) riesling in the Finger Lakes.
But, for a wine to really stand out during a tasting, it has to be something special. When such a wine retails for less than $20, even better — if increasingly rare as prices creep up in the Finger Lakes.
Boundary Breaks Vineyard 2014 No. 239 Dry Riesling ($19) is one of those rare wines. It grabbed and held my attention during a tasting of very good Finger Lakes rieslings. And it’s $19.
The nose is bright, beautiful and expressive with notes of sweet spring flowers, fennel fronds, tangerines, limes and pears.
Dry but not austere, the lithe palate is dominated by concentrated citrus and pear fruit flavors that are energized and focused by juicy-gritty acidity. There is a faint flinty, herbal note at the end of a long, crunchy finish. Among a half dozen good-to-great Finger Lakes rieslings I tasted over the weekend, I couldn’t stop tasting and re-tasting this one.
I haven’t had many yet, but 2014 seems to have been a great season for dry riesling in the Finger Lakes. I look forward to tasting many more when I’m up there later this month.
Producer: Boundary Breaks
AVA: Finger Lakes
ABV: 12.8%
Grapes: 100% riesling
Production: 2,000 cases
Price: $19 (sample)
Rating: 92