Finger on Fine Fall Riesling

As part of a Riesling launch sponsored by the Finger Lakes wine alliance, I recently had the opportunity to participate in a virtual tasting that allowed me to sample several bottles from the 2011 vintage. For me, the experience re-upped the region’s esteem – not that it was in doubt – and instilled a bit of a wandering eye that had some of my European Rieslings chattering nervously about daddy’s newfound shine.

Mind you, there’s little chance you’ll find these wines on PLCB shelves, but the timing is fairly ideal as Keystone Staters square up their fall vacations or long weekend road trips. As I’ve written previously on Examiner.com, the Finger Lakes area is a top-notch destination and it’s especially sweet during harvest time.

The region has built a reputation for its Rieslings and other whites (though I’m consistently jazzed on their reds, and the reports on the 2010 vintage promise high water mark status for Merlots, Pinots, Cab Francs, etc.). If the lineup I tasted is an indication, the 2011 Rieslings provide a compelling reason to gas up and go.

Of the six wineries featured, I had experience with half of them – Lamoreaux Landing, Standing Stone and Thirsty Owl. It’s worth mentioning that all of these wines ring up at a reasonable $14-16, feature natural cork stoppers, and two of them, Lamoreaux and Thirsty Owl, employ sustainable viticultural practices. In recent years, Rieslings from Standing Stone have been featured through the PLCB.

With that, I give the finger to the Finger Lakes and these 2011 Rieslings. A big, firm finger, high in the air (a thumb is a finger, right?). Let’s review.

2011 Anthony Road Wine Company Dry Riesling: Slightly golden hued with a zesty nose and a touch of funk. A bracing Riesling that comes on strong with lemon and intense pineapple, a drying mineral finish that’s also lengthy and distinctively spicy. Intriguing, complex. Stinging acidity and the finish are distinguishing marks. 11.9% alcohol. 89-91 points.

2011 Hosmer Winery Riesling: Drank at room temperature. Pretty color, piercing aroma. Wonderful mouthfeel and flavors upfront. Honeyed, with a very satisfying edge of acidity that renders it nearly effervescent. Add a touch of creaminess and the presentation is lean and supple at once (I know, weird – but true). The result is a wine of finesse and grace. 11.8% alcohol. 90-92 points.

2011 Lamoreaux Landing Dry Riesling: More neutral on its nose, pale yellow in color. Capital “D” dry and much more subtle. Less accessible out of the bottle despite some faint floral flavors, a lot of minerality and a mottle of spice. The toughest wine of the group to gauge, and my sense is it will work out with some horizontal time. Night two brought out finer form proving that prolonged exposure to air cannot hurt in this case. 12.8% alcohol. 87-89 points.

2011 Seneca Shore Wine Cellars Dry Riesling: A little stinky cheese on the nose. Quite green in flavor (somewhat in hue, too). Slightly clipped, angular and awkward. A straightforward profile and dry as hell. Probably not in full blossom and will benefit from a little bottle time. 12.7% alcohol. 86-88 points.

2011 Standing Stone Vineyards Riesling: More deeply golden in the glass, with the highest residual sugar of the tasting – which seems to fortify the rich nose. I really liked this complex effort from Standing Stone. A little fruit cobbler, tangerine, honeysuckle, pine and baking spices. Great acidity. For the “sweetest” of the lot, it contained itself – likely a testament to the 40-plus-year-old vines that bore the fruit. Should age well. 11.7% alcohol. 91-93 points.

2011 Thirsty Owl Wine Company Dry Riesling: Very perky nose. Lowest residual sugar levels of the bunch. Stony, lemon zest and subtle green apple sweetness (and perhaps a drop of honey). A pucker-y finish with super tartness; crisp and sharp. Slight lift on the finish. A lovely sipper and my wife’s favorite of the tasting. 100% estate grown grapes. 11.4% alcohol. 87-89 points.

Update: Marti Macinski of Standing Stone Vineyards reached out to say that they, too, employ sustainable practices. According to Macinski, their Vidal vineyard has been farmed organically for the past seven years.