2019 Hillick & Hobbs Estate Dry Riesling, Seneca Lake
Regular price $35.00
Unit price per
Inaugural vintage!
We took a trip recently and were given a private tour of this band new estate and were deeply impressed. This is a new venture for famed winemaker Paul Hobbs, who partnered with Johannes Selbach of Germany's Selbach Oster. They only make one wine, the dry Riesling, and it is incredible. It is a masterclass in texture, with a pillowy marshmallow center palate that ends in Bartlett pear skin and laser precision. The estate is on the South End of Seneca Lake, near Wathen's Glen. The vineyards are some of the steepest in the whole region, with soils so thin that vines had to be planted in holes drilled into the rock.
If quality wine from New York is news to you, you really need to do yourself a favor and make the drive up there. They are making amazing Rieslings to rival those of Germany, as well as vibrant Pinot Noir, savory Cabernet Franc, and spicy Blaufrankisch.
What makes this area so special is the geography and geology of the area. When the glaciers started receding millions of years ago they carved long, deep lakes. Seneca Lake is so deep, in fact, that it almost never freezes, no matter how bitter the winter. Because of this, vines planted close to the lake are protected from freezing to death during the winter, while in the summer the cold lake waters keep a natural breeze circulating through the vineyards to protect the grapes from frost and mold. The soils are incredibly complicated, with one vineyards having more soil diversity than the entire county of Lodi, California.