Hermann J. Wiemer
Dry Riesling
2008
12.0% ABV | Price: about $17.50
We purchased this bottle at the winery on a recent three-day trip to the Finger Lakes. We visited Wiemer last that weekend, after having tasted about a hundred other wines—mostly Riesling, but a little Gewürtz and Cab Franc and Merlot, and a few other varietals or blends the Finger Lakes winemakers cook up. Wiemer's wines were the best of our tastings, and we bought a few of these Dry Rieslings and their low-end Gewürtztraminer, plus a blend they call Frost Cuvée, all of which struck us as good values.
Upstate New York Rieslings are, in general, bone dry with searing acidity, and this wine's no exception. But it manages some nuance, with a little more fruit and body than its peers. It's a light gold color, with a nose that's citrusy, with green apple and jasmine. On the palate it spreads out, filling the mouth with clean, bright sour apple and lemon, and finishing long and dry. Cleansing, and a good ambassador for the region.
