DSCN5474Is there anything better than driving through wine country, stopping off at a winery that you hadn't planned to visit, and discovering a gem? It's one of the wine world's great joys and it happened to me and Nena on our last day in the Finger Lakes a few weeks ago.

As we drove up the western side of Cayuga Lake, we spotted a sign for Hosmer Winery. The winery we had planned to visit wasn't open yet, so we stopped in at Hosmer… and we're glad that we did. The wines impressed almost across the board. This was one of the wines that we liked best, so we bought a few bottles and I included one in my weekly tasting on Sunday.

In my experience, Cayuga rieslings are richer in their fruit profile and less minerally than those grown on Seneca or Keuka Lakes. This Hosmer Winery 2007 Riesling ($12) is a great example of that. The nose is ripe with big peach, candied lemon peel, overripe pear and somewhat tropical aromas most prominent with subtle floral-herbal and pencil eraser notes.

This is a medium-light bodied riesling with intense peach, melon and candied, almost honeyed citrus flavors. The mid-palate is fruity, round, lightly sweet and the finish is medium-long with a gentle dryness brought about by well-balanced, well integrated acidity.

And for $12? I wish more wineries brought this sort of quality at that price point. This is a killer value.

Producer: Hosmer Winery
AVA: Cayuga Lake
Price: $12
ABV: 11.2%
RS: 2.5%
Rating: 30
(3 out of 5 | Recommended)

(Ratings Guide)