Rave Riesling Reviews for HJW

Congrats to my friends at Hermann J. Wiemer, who got rave reviews from Wine Spectator for 4 of their 2008 Rieslings!

Here are the reviews and ratings from James Molesworth:

HERMANN J. WIEMER
Riesling Finger Lakes Dry HJW Vineyard 2008
92 points | $39 | 80 cases made | White
Still reserved for now, with white peach, blanched almond, bitter lemon and Key lime flavors all laced up tightly by a note of jasmine tea. Dense and ripe, but tightly wound on the finish. Will need to stretch out in the cellar. Best from 2011 through 2014.—J.M.

HERMANN J. WIEMER
Riesling Finger Lakes Late Harvest Bunch Select 2008
92 points | $100/375ml | 75 cases made | dessert
Inviting with a gorgeous beam of persimmon, apricot and blood orange fruit flavors allied to a creamy, lush frame. Fig, green tea and creamed pear notes then fill out the lengthy finish with great underlying snap. Drink now through 2019.—J.M.

HERMANN J. WIEMER
Riesling Finger Lakes Dry Reserve 2008
91 points | $23 | 400 cases made | White
Though still compact now, this is really juicy and ripe with a great core of yellow apple, melon rind, jasmine and white peach notes backed by a bracing edge. The long, quinine-tinged finish needs a little time to settle in. Drink now through 2013.—J.M.

HERMANN J. WIEMER
Riesling Finger Lakes Late Harvest Select 2008
90 points | $62/375ml | 50 cases made | dessert
Very fresh with an invigorating feel to the dried apricot, ripe peach and creamed melon notes, with a flitter of green tea weaving in on the sweet, succulent finish. Lush, but with good snap for balance. Drink now through 2012.—J.M.

Congrats, Peter!

Peter's Malbec got 90 points from James Molesworth in Wine Spectator! Here's the review:

Los Vencejos
Malbec Uco Valley 2007
90 points | $28 | 119 cases imported | Red
Very ripe and nicely rounded, with a lovely floral aroma leading
the way for enticing blueberry, fig and plum fruit flavors. Long,
lush finish has nice focus too. Drink now through 2011.—J.M.

Can't wait for '08

We've been slowly rolling out the '08 vintage and they have been fantastic - I've mentioned how much I love the '08 Gewurz and the '08 Late Harvest Riesling. Last night I got to taste some more '08s, including the Dry Riesling, Reserve Dry Riesling, HJW Dry Riesling, and Magdalena Dry Riesling. What a crew! These wines are delicious. I particularly love the HJW and Magdalena single-vineyard bottlings. It is so interesting to taste the differences due to the variances in these 2 vineyard sites. Soil and mesoclimate are the main factors that contribute to the contrast in these 2 wines - the Magdalena site is a few degrees warmer, and note the soil differences here between all 3 sites: 

Of course, it's the blending from the 3 sites that results in the consistency and vibrancy of the Dry Riesling and the elegance of the Reserve Dry Riesling.

Check out what James Molesworth of Wine Spectator had to say about these members of the 2008 Riesling lineup:  http://www.winespectator.com/blogs/show/id/41236

A couple more unreleased wines that I got to try: 2008 Select Late Harvest Riesling (a beautiful dessert wine with honeyed apricots on the palate) and 2003 Blanc de Noir (85% Pinot Noir and 15% Chardonnay - sparkling wine) that sat on the lees for 4.5 years before disgorging (nutty, brioche character with really fine, well-integrated bubbles on the palate).