The Finger Lakes AVA lies five hours north of New York city, to the south of Lake Ontario & the Canadian border. The region sits on the extremity of many a wine convention:- this is seriously cool climate production made possible only by the tempering effect of the lakes and Vinifera only arrived here in the 1950s and still has to prove its worth to many farmers more used to selling hybrids to the tourist markets. Amongst the wineries and winemakers pushing to advance the region and craft wines of quality and distinction to match the best sites' potential is local Ben Riccardi.
Ben brings the sensibilities of a young gun who has worked in Sonoma, New Zealand and France along with Big Apple attitude from time honing his skills at Manhattan's City Winery. Using fruit from both Seneca and Cayuga Lakes - there are 11 Lakes in total with four considered the best for winemaking and these two with their own AVAs - Ben makes low-intervention, wild-yeast wines that revel in freshness and lower alcohol. We love the lightness of touch he brings to his Chardonnays (both unoaked and with some large barrel influence), Riesling and Cab Franc. The hybrids that can often lead the region astray- along with being freezing in the winter there can be considerable pressure on vines during hot and humid summers - are focussed and original.
Osmote Riesling Seneca Lake 2019
12% abv
Orange essence, quince, and subtle nuttiness in aroma paired with intensity in the palate.
Sawmill Creek Vineyard- Hillside planting on east side of Seneca Lake with slopes as steep as 20%. Vineyard altitude ranges from 490-820ft above sea level. Clone 239 Riesling on 3309c rootstock, planted in 2005 in north south rows. Howard gravelly loam soils.
Round Rock Vineyard- Shallow hill planting on east side of Seneca Lake with slopes in the 3 to 8% range and 840ft above sea level. Clone 198 Riesling on 3309c rootstock planted in 2008. Honoeye silt loam and Lansing gravelly silt loam soils with calcareous elements on a shale bedrock.
Sawmill fruit hand harvested on 10/9/19, sorted, and whole cluster pressed. Round Rock fruit machine harvested and destemmed on 10/21/19. Both lots kept separate and fermented naturally. Wine is moved to large format 400 and 500L barrels at earliest signs of fermentation. Aged in barrel, on lees until first racking done1 month before bottling, where both lots were blended in tank. Bottled August 19, 2020.
328 cases produced.
- Reference #:
- 15532
- Strength
- 12 ABV
- Bottles per Case
- 6 bottles
- Grapes
- Riesling
- Organic
- No
- Biodynamic
- No
- Vegan
- Yes
- Vegetarian
- Yes
- Sparkling
- No