From: Seneca Lake, Finger Lakes, New York

Varietal: Riesling

Tasting Notes: This wine presents an intriguing nose that blends classic pear and lemon aromas with a distinct mineral character. A medium body carries through with a flavor profile featuring pear and melon upfront, with orchard apple. Hints of white pepper and apricot on the palate, adding complexity and depth. The finish is saline, providing a structured and refreshing ending, along with the persistent acidity and light tart white fruits.

Pairing: Its classic white fruit flavor and mineral complexity, featuring white pepper and apricot, makes it particularly suitable for Asian cuisines, such as Thai or Vietnamese dishes incorporating herbs, spices, and a balance of sweet and sour flavors. The wine's saline finish and persistent acidity complement seafood, especially shellfish like scallops or shrimp, enhancing their natural sweetness.

The light tartness of white fruits in the wine also allows it to pair well with creamy goat cheeses or a fresh garden salad dressed with a vinaigrette, playing nicely against the acidity and mineral notes. For a meat option, consider pairing this Riesling with pork dishes that include a fruity component like an apple compote, which would resonate with the orchard fruit flavors of the wine. These pairings would bring out the depth and refreshing qualities of the Riesling, making for a delightful culinary experience.

Scallop Tartare by Mark Bittman

About. Forge Cellars is a collaborative effort based in the Finger Lakes region of New York. It was founded by three friends: French winemaker Louis Barruol of Château de Saint Cosme in Gigondas, Richard Rainey, and Justin Boyette. This partnership aims to reflect the unique terroir of the southeastern side of Seneca Lake through their winemaking.

Louis Barruol, with his deep roots in a 14-generation winemaking tradition, brings a wealth of experience and a connection to French viticultural techniques, which are integral to the philosophy of Forge Cellars. The winery crafts bone-dry Riesling, cool- climate Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, and Chardonnay. They focus on expressing the unique characteristics of each vintage and the diverse terroir of their region through careful vineyard selection and winemaking practices. The approach at Forge is grounded in minimal intervention techniques, aiming for the purest expression of their vineyards, including indigenous yeast fermentations and minimal use of sulfur.

Their "Classique" bottlings are particularly significant as they aim to consolidate the various elements of each site into a perfectly balanced expression of the vintage. The vineyards span an eight-mile stretch along southeast Seneca Lake, notable for its diverse soil types and providing an ideal landscape for expressing the nuanced differences in their wine.

Forge Cellars has made a name for itself by not only producing high-quality wines but also by contributing to the economic revitalization of the Finger Lakes region, highlighting the integral relationship between the local community and the wine industry.

The soils around Seneca Lake are predominantly well-drained and composed of shale, limestone, gravel, and silt. These mineral-rich soils contribute to the distinctive minerality in the wines, especially the Rieslings, for which the region is renowned. The
 lake itself plays a crucial role in the local terroir. The vineyards around Seneca Lake are often planted on sloping hillsides, which helps with sun exposure and drainage, essential for grape quality. Proximity to the lake is critical; the lake’s massive volume moderates the surrounding area's temperature, creating a microclimate that extends the growing season and reduces the risk of frost, which can be particularly damaging in the colder months.

Seneca Lake, the largest and deepest Finger Lakes, is a heat reservoir. It absorbs heat during the summer and releases it during cooler months, softening the climate extremes typical of the northeastern United States. This temperature moderation effect extends the growing season, giving the grapes more time to develop complexity and varietal character before harvest. The region receives ample rainfall, but the timing and amount can vary significantly yearly, influencing vine growth and grape maturity. Managing vine canopy and soil health is crucial to mitigate the impact of excessive or insufficient rainfall.

Wine Notes: The Freese Vineyard, situated on the east side of Seneca Lake in the Lodi area, offers a unique perspective on viticulture in this renowned wine region. Planted in the mid-1990s and located at an elevation of 768 feet, the vineyard features loam soils with underlying shale. This site is a northern extension of the Breakneck Vineyard, and together they can be considered sibling sites. Both vineyards share similar soil compositions and cultivate the same grape varieties, yet they express unique individual traits in their produce.

The Freese Vineyard is known for its prudent and precise character, offering wines that balance ripeness with restraint, showcasing the refined side of its terroir. In contrast, Breakneck is characterized by its intensity and drama, producing wines with robust flavors and bold aromas. This distinction highlights the individualism of each site despite their shared traits.

Harvesting at Freese Vineyard occurred on October 20th, with the grapes undergoing spontaneous fermentation in barrels using native yeasts. This method underscores the natural characteristics and complexity of the wine. The 2018 vintage marked the first bottling of this vineyard as a lieu-dit, celebrating its distinct identity. This vineyard was named after a family farm previously occupying the site, adding a layer of historical depth to its current viticultural use. We have collaborated with Freese Vineyard since the 2015 vintage, further developing and understanding its unique contribution to our portfolio.

This season's wine from Freese Vineyard is notably dry, with a residual sugar level of 0.2% (2 grams per liter), a total acidity of 4.18 grams per liter, and an alcohol content of 12%. With a production of 137 cases, it exemplifies the boutique nature of the wine, aimed at reflecting the singular qualities of the Seneca Lake terroir.