Posts Tagged“riesling”

Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars 2011 Red Oak Vineyard Riesling

With aromas of green-herbal tea, white peaches and lemon-lime — and a subtle talcum powder note — the nose on Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars 2011 Red Oak Vineyard Riesling ($20). Similarly fruity up front on a juicy, just off-dry palate, it shows grapefruit, lime and Golden Delicious apple flavors on a lighter frame. Focused by not too angular, it straddles the line between mass appeal and riesling-lover appeal. It finishes dry with a lingering, apple-y ending. Producer: Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars AVA: Finger Lakes ABV: 12.1% Price: $20*

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Growing List of Finger Lakes Producers Making Sweeter, Richer — But Not Dessert! — Riesling

The hottest winemaker you’ve never heard of is Kelby Russell, a soft-spoken, music-loving globe trotter with the work ethic of a stubborn ant. Russell, an assistant at Red Newt Cellars, learned under Peter Bell at Fox Run and spent several winters in the southern hemisphere, where it was harvest time. He’s gained a reputation as a fast-learning workhorse. So why is he back home in the Finger Lakes, instead of extending his overseas adventures? “Sweeter rieslings are really what have kept me, after my start in 2009,” he explains. He was smitten by the balanced, rich rieslings from Germany while…

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Mystery Man Behind the Finger Lakes’ Best Winery Website Reveals Plans for Boundary Breaks: Only Riesling

Some time around the first of the year, word started to spread in Finger Lakes wine circles about a remarkable new website for a winery most people had never heard of. Within hours, questions were flying: Who did that amazing photography? What is Boundary Breaks? Who owns it? With a little digging I was able to uncover some answers, but only after the owner secured a promise from me not to reveal his identity. It’s not that he’s a celebrity — you’ve almost certainly never heard of him — but he has business reasons to keep his name out of…

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Raphael Winery 2011 Riesling

Offers aromas of slightly bruised pear, apple, white flowers and spice. The palate is less interesting — showing generic fruitiness that is somewhat stale — with a bit of a floral note and sharp acidity seems a bit disjointed. Finishing a bit sour and medium-short, this wine just isn’t particularly good — probably the result of a difficult growing season. Producer: Raphael AVA: North Fork of Long Island ABV: 11.8% Price: $20*

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Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars 2011 Semi-Dry Riesling

Located on the eastern side of Seneca Lake, Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars can always be counted on to deliver good values in under-$15 riesling — and this Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars 2011 Semi-Dry Riesling ($14) continues that tradition. Very fruity on the nose, it offers aromas of green and yellow apple, sweet juicy musk melon and golden raisin. Though noticeably sweet, the palate packs a fruit cocktail-like melange of apple, peach, melon and honey flavors, with subtle grapefruit and golden raisin notes with enough balancing acidity to keep it from being cloying — though a bit more verve through the mid-palate would…

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Silver Thread Vineyard 2011 Doyle East Vineyard Riesling

When Paul and Shannon Brock took over Silver Thread Vineyard in the summer of 2011 — just before harvest — fans of Finger Lakes wines were anxious to see what Paul, who is also the winemaker, would do with the wines. Obviously they weren’t very involved in the growing of their estate’s grapes but with careful harvest-time decisions and sourcing of grapes from other growers, the Brocks released a series of impressive 2011 rieslings, including Silver Thread Vineyard 2011 Doyle East Vineyard Riesling ($25), a tiny, 23-case production. Juicy and fresh on the nose, this riesling offers notes of pear —…

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Two Films that Finger Lakes Wine Lovers — and Finger Lakes Winemakers — Should See

If you love wine — if you even like wine — there are two new movies coming out just in time for the holidays that you should see. Okay, that’s not entirely fair. I’ve only seen one, so I can’t give a full review of both, and neither will be in theaters. You have to make an effort to find these films, which are documentaries. And you should. I’ll take it a step further: It would be wonderful if Finger Lakes wine industry professionals took the time to watch both films. The reason is simple, and goes back to the…

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Fox Run Vineyards 2011 Dry Riesling

White flowers and flint bring nuance to a citrusy nose with underlying nectarine aromas. The palate is peachy with a bit of pear, honey and lime/grapefruit citrus flavors. Dry and energetic — but not hard or austere — the lime juice-y acidity is nicely integrated and lengthens the finish nicely. Flinty/smokey note on the finish. Producer: Fox Run Vineyards AVA: Finger Lakes ABV: 12% Price: $16* (3.5 out of 5 | Very Good, Recommended to Outstanding and Delicious, Highly Recommended)

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Hermann J. Wiemer 2010 Magdalena Vineyard Riesling

You’ll find several wines made in the Finger Lakes with vineyards listed on the label. Academically, I really enjoy the opportunity to taste wines grown in smaller parcels and kept separate throughout the winemaking process. But there is also a bit of marketing gimmick to them. If a vineyard isn’t distinctive and mature, you’re really just using vineyard desingations to do it. Some vineyards haven’t ‘earned’ it yet. On the other end of the spectrum is Magdalena Vineyard, owned and managed by Hermann J. Wiemer. It is one of the few grand cru sites in the Finger Lakes. It’s one of the…

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The Finger Lakes 2012 Vintage in Their Own Words: Long Growing Season Leads to Ripe, Powerful Wines

When the wines of 2012 are finally released, consumers will find some of the most complex and deeply flavored wines ever to emerge from the region. Growing practices are better than ever and gradually improving, and the stellar overall weather allowed for more ripening than most varieties enjoy in the Finger Lakes. If there is one debate, it’s about riesling, which just happens to be the most important variety in the region. There is no question that the rieslings of 2012 will bring less acidity. However, there is reason to believe that this is a feature, not a bug. One…

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