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Wagner Vineyards Caywood East Vineyard Dry Riesling 2021, Finger Lakes, New York

04 Tuesday Feb 2025

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Pale straw colored with a watery sheen (11.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of petrol, lanolin, lemon zest, pomelo, white blossom, green almond, wet rock, strawberry leaf (I know…), nectarine, and green apple.  The palate is dry with high acidity and a medium (-) body.  Medium intensity flavors of lemon zest, white grapefruit, white blossom, wet rock, and lanolin with a slight astringency on the mid palate.  The finish is quite tart, the acidity still very much in play.  Lemon, grapefruit and petrol carry through to a rather long finish.  It’s a young Riesling, with plenty of cellaring capacity and the ability to develop tertiary notes.  I paid $25 at the cellar door for this 90 point wine that gets 4 stars.  My pairing is a baked Halibut with beurre blanc.  Salut….

Wagner Vineyards Caywood East Vineyard Dry Riesling

Fox Run Vineyards Dry Riesling 2021, Finger Lakes, New York

24 Friday Jan 2025

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Pale golden yellow with low viscosity (12.6% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of petrol, bruised apple, lemon zest, petrichor, peach, nectarine, orange blossom, and candle wax.  (I know….).  The palate is dry with high acidity and a medium (-) body.  Medium (+) intensity flavors coupled with the cutting acidity and lithe body make for a refreshing mouthfeel.  The finish is acid-dominant but the apple, lemon, and petrol notes do continue to medium length.  I like this style of Riesling, dry and fresh yet it offers the telltale petrol I search for in this variety.  90 points for this $18 effort makes it a 5 star wine that I believe could cellar nicely.  I’m pairing with seared scallops and steamed asparagus.  Salut….

Fox Run Vineyards Dry Riesling

Amalaya Torrontes-Riesling 2021, Salta, Argentina

05 Sunday Jan 2025

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We kicked off the 38th virtual wine tasting with this Torrontes/Riesling blend (85/15%), served initially chilled then at room temperature.  Pale yellow colored with medium viscosity (13% ABV), it gave the tasters medium (+) intensity aromas of honeysuckle, lemon, nectarine, peach, pear, lychee, and rose water.  On the palate it is dry with medium (+) acidity thanks to the Riesling, with a light body.  The flavors were similar to the nose with the addition of vanilla- the finish was long.  We then tasted the room temperature version which gave us more pear, some petrol, a hint of ginger, and perhaps vanilla thread.  The acidity was a bit subdued but the body felt heavier with tangerine, pear, honeysuckle, and a citrus driven finish that went on for ages.  I scored it 15 and 14 on our tasting sheet but this $12 bottle gets 91 points on technical merit making it a 5 star wine.  Drink till 2029.  Salut….

Amalaya Torrontes-Riesling

Loosen Bros Dr. L Riesling 2023, Mosel, Germany

09 Monday Dec 2024

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Pale straw/lemon colored with high viscosity (8.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of lemon zest, petrol, green apple skin, white and orange blossom, slightly underripe apricot, and a hint of wet slate.  The palate is off-dry with high acidity and a medium body.  The viscosity in the glass is obviously a result of the RS (residual sugar) and not the alcohol content.  The flavors are slightly muted by the piercing acidity, even though it is tempered by the sugar.  Citrus zest, green apple, apricot, and that stony mineral note make it through the powerful facade of this refreshing yet weighty wine.  It’s an interesting dichotomy.  I’m enjoying it very much as an aperitif to a Greek Chicken Souvlaki dinner, which has a lemon-based marinade.  The finish is very interesting- a ying and yang of sweetness versus tartness.  It lasts quite a long while.  Loving this $12 bottle that gets a decent 89 point score from me and 5 stars.  I will be stocking up on this porch pounder.  It will pair beautifully with spicy dishes as well as Asian inspired cuisine.  I think it has some cellaring capacity and would be interested to hide a few bottles for extended periods, checking every so often on the development.  Yummy.  Salut….

dr loosen dr l riesling

Fox Run Vineyards Silvan Riesling 2021, Seneca Lake, New York

31 Saturday Aug 2024

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Pale gold with a watery sheen (12% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of petrol, tangerine pith, peach, apricot, white and orange blossom.  The palate is dry with high acidity and a medium (-) body.  Flavors of peach, apricot, tangerine pith (with its associated bitterness), some toast and white blossom.  I was hoping for some petrol notes, but alas I may have to wait a few years for that to develop on the palate.  The acidity is cutting on the back-end where the finish is medium in length and a touch astringent.  It’s a nice drop for sure- 91 points worth and for the $20 price point it gets 5 stars.  Drink till 2030.   Salut….

Wagner Vineyards Caywood East Vineyard Dry Riesling 2014, Finger Lakes, New York

05 Friday Jul 2024

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Pale lemon colored with gold highlights and a watery sheen (12.3% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of petrol followed by waxy lanolin, white grapefruit, nectarine, lime zest and a hint of- dare I say, milk chocolate.  Bizarre, I know.  The palate is dry with high acidity and a light body.  Flavors of white grapefruit pith, lemon zest, petrol, peach, nectarine and a flinty note.  The finish is long and mouthwatering, simply delicious with wafts of petrol, something I love in developing/developed Rieslings.  The acidity is en pointe with this delicious bottle, it cuts, but makes me beg for another sip.  93 points for this wine which I purchased ex-cellar.  Newer vintages run $25, which would make this a 5 star wine.  It has loads of cellaring capacity left and should develop even more.  Lovely stuff.  Salut….

Domane Wachau – Freie Weingartner Bruck Riesling Federspiel 2021, Wachau, Austria

11 Tuesday Jun 2024

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Pale lemon colored with medium viscosity (12.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of petrol, white blossom, lime pith, lemon zest, grapefruit, peach and crunchy yellow apple.  The palate is dry with high acidity and a medium (-) body.  Crisp flavors of lemon zest, grapefruit, white peach, petrol, flint and melon.  The finish is zesty and refreshing with nice cut and medium length flavors that caress.  It’s a delicious and lithe expression of Riesling that I have chilled nicely to pair with baked Salmon and Tortellini salad.  92 points from me for this $38 effort makes it 5 star wine to drink till 2035.  It should evolve nicely.  Salut….

Mirassou Vineyards Riesling 1998, Monterey County, California

20 Tuesday Feb 2024

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Another bottle from my buddy’s garage is this 25 year-old Riesling.  It is medium gold colored, a stunning looking wine with a watery sheen (11% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of ripe pear, apricot, honey, petrol, lime curd, vanilla thread, white and orange blossom, honeysuckle and candied tangerine.  The palate is off-dry with high acidity and a medium body.  Unfortunately the flavor intensity is a little lacking compared to the nose but I do get petrol, candied apricot, honey, pear, lime, candied ginger and blossom.  There is a slight bitterness on the mid palate that carries through to the medium (+) length finish.  I must say- I’m impressed that this wine is even drinkable considering its provenance and quality level, perhaps a testament to the longevity of the varietal and the agglomerated cork.  You can purchase a current vintage for $10.  This one got 86 points and a Best Buy rec from Wine Enthusiast back in the day.  I can see why.  Speechless to say the least.  Salut….

Red Tail Ridge Perpetuelle Change Solera Brut Nature NV, Finger Lakes, New York

02 Friday Feb 2024

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Pale salmon colored with a fine yet aggressive mousse and low viscosity (12% ABV).  The nose is heavenly, unique and inviting.  Medium (+) intensity aromas of papaya, lime, blood orange, rose hip and cranberry.  I get a faint whiff right at the end of yeasty brioche and green almond.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and a light body.   The mousse is delicate and fine- invigorating. Flavors of papaya, lime zest,  tart blood orange, bitter cherry, brioche and pomegranate lead to a medium length finish.  This is an intriguing wine that releases waves of flavors and has a beautiful mouthfeel.  I like it- so much so that I will order more.  92 points from me- at $33 it’s a relative bargain compared to French Champagne of this level.  5 stars.

An aside- this wine is made in the Solera method out of the following:

30% Previous Cuvée
38% Pinot Noir
13% Pinot Blanc
11% Riesling
8% Chardonnay

Salut….

Boundary Breaks winery tour, Finger Lakes, New York

28 Sunday Jan 2024

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Our second stop of eight wineries took us down a snow covered dirt road to this stunning property.  Overlooking the lake, the new and modern tasting facility was well-lit and beautifully appointed.  Our host was the co-owner and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit.  No proper notes were taken but I loved the whites, especially the dessert ones.  The reds came from a difficult, wet vintage and were thin.  This winery is a must-stop-in if you are on the eastern shores of Seneca Lake.  You can tell that the husband and wife team are passionate about their wines and their business.

I rated the Cab Franc at 88 points, the Harmonic at 89 (it’s a Bordeaux blend).  The unoaked Chardonnay got 90 for its roundness with stone fruit.  The Extra Dry Riesling got 88 points- no R/S made it bone dry but it had some lovely ripe fruit.  The Riesling Dry had tell-tale petrol notes which got me excited- 90 points.  The Med Dry Riesling Ovid Line North got 91 points and was delicious, a steal at $18.95.  The #110 Riesling sat right in the sweet spot with 90 points followed by the 88 point Gewürztraminer Med-Dry.  The Riesling Reserve #98 is one to look out for-91 points from me.  Of the two sweet wines, the Gewürztraminer Grand from 202 was delicious and unique but the amazing Riesling Ice wine was stunning at 94 points for me.  It’s very young, from the 2022 vintage and should age gracefully for many years.  Mine is in the cellar.

Overall a grand time was had and we didn’t even mind the fog and snow!  I cannot imagine the views and ambience of this scenic sight in the warm summer months.  Salut….