2015 Riesling 'Beautiful Little Fool'

A classic vintage of extremes in the Finger Lakes. A cold winter and wet spring/early summer didn't bode well for announcing a great vintage, but fortunately the remainder of the summer was warm and dry to give the grapes a chance to ripen fully. Low yields also helped to favor fruit development through September. Rains in October encouraged the development of Botrytis on the fruit.

Grapes were hand-harvested and gently whole-cluster pressed. Approximately 20% of the fruit was affected by Botrytis. Juice was allowed to oxidize fully before fermentation began spontaneously. Fermentation was complete by January, 2016 with partial malolactic conversion. The wine was then racked and aged on clean lees until bottling in September. 

Alc. 11.9%, pH: 3.3, TA: 6.0 g/L, RS: 3.5 g/L

Tasting notes

90 points -- There is a little more botrytis in this vintage, which has 3 grams of residual sugar. Rich, luscious and full-bodied, with lots of ripe, fleshy stone fruit throughout. Unctuous but displays great balance and lots of stoniness on the long finish.

-- Jason Wilson, Vinous, Dec 2019