Cristaldi Scores

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The 2021 Estate Dry Riesling opens with vivid orchard fruit, slivered almonds, apricot, and daffodil, layered with a subtle hint of honeycomb. A racy acid backbone and pronounced wet slate minerality drive the wine’s energy. Hand-harvested with shears and field-sorted, the fruit was whole-cluster pressed and fermented with 100% native yeast. The wine was aged with 95% fermented in stainless steel and 5% in a 500L neutral French oak barrel. Sourced from the Seneca Lake AVA in New York’s Finger Lakes, the vines grow on steep to very steep western-facing slopes of up to 55%, rooted in blue slate, glacial till, limestone, and glacial shale.
This wine opens with a wild, almost savage nose reminiscent of green or yellow Chartreuse—fennel, licorice, and savory herbs. Then it takes all the fruit you expect from Riesling and, as winemaker Phil Plummer puts it, “puts it on the grill.” The result is a smoky, almost incense-like character on the palate, with crisp, medium-bodied texture and a crunchy mineral core. The finish is long, smoky, and laced with stony intensity.
The 2022 vintage is a bit richer and broader on the palate than the 2021, delivering consistent aromas and flavors of wet slate minerality, a panoply of white and yellow wildflowers, a touch of honeycomb or beeswax, and an expressive kumquat character. Salty-savory acidity and a stark mineral drive frame the wine, while the floral notes shine brightly on the extended finish. Bone-dry, electric, and a real joy to sip.
The Riesling Bubbly Dry #356 2023 from Boundary Breaks in the Finger Lakes AVA is a bright, focused sparkler made from sustainably certified, estate-grown Riesling clone #356. Fermented in stainless steel and finished with forced carbonation, it delivers a crisp, linear profile marked by vivid, mouthwatering acidity. Just-ripe orchard fruits—green apple and pear—are framed by a saline-mineral tension, with the faintest whisper of petrol and wet slate adding complexity to the dry, refreshing finish.
In contrast to the 2021 and 2022 vintages, the 2023 Estate Dry Riesling is driven by tropical fruit, opening with mango and pineapple before unfolding into white peach, pear, and yellow apple. The wine is intensely fruit-forward, but it’s all crunchy fruit rather than fleshy, carried by a spine of zippy acidity that brings its own crisp bite. The long finish reveals savory notes of herbed almonds and bright sea spray, underscored by a distinct saline edge.
The 2024 Estate Dry Riesling is an exceptionally polished wine. It opens with a flinty, almost reductive edge, layered with beeswax, lime blossom, apricot, pear, and crunchy red apple over a soft, fleshy core. Despite its impression of sweetness, the wine is bone-dry, acid-driven, and remarkably long on the medium-bodied finish. Tasting it professionally, I found myself swallowing small sips just to be sure I loved it as much as I knew I did. You will too—it’s simply irresistible. Native yeast fermented in stainless steel. It is the most complete of the Estate Dry Riesling wines I tasted, and a remarkable effort from Hobb’s New York State winery.
Even before the first swirl, the 2024 Hillick & Hobbs Lower Terrace Estate Dry Riesling releases floral aromas that lift from the glass—super-fragrant, high-toned honeysuckle, jasmine, and acacia, with a delicate touch of rosemary blossom. On the palate, a supple silkiness resonates through the mid-palate before giving way to a chalky mineral finish accented by crushed almonds and emerging tropical fruit notes of peach and underripe mango. The finish is almost slippery, making this an all-too-easy quaffer.
The North Ravine bottling of Paul Hobbs’ Estate Dry Riesling from Hillick & Hobbs, his winery on Seneca Lake in New York’s Finger Lakes region, is a dynamic and expressive white wine that bursts from the glass with jasmine and honeysuckle florals. It’s like springtime in a glass—open it in the dead of winter and you’ll be transported to sunnier, warmer days. On the palate, there’s a sense of warmth and generosity layered over cool notes of wet slate, sea spray minerality, and crunchy orchard fruit. A subtle mix of muddled honey and lemon adds depth and dimension. The floral notes carry through to a wonderfully lengthy finish, making it irresistible sip after sip.

Vintage

Wine

Type

Color

Rating

$

The 2021 Estate Dry Riesling opens with vivid orchard fruit, slivered almonds, apricot, and daffodil, layered with a subtle hint of honeycomb. A racy acid backbone and pronounced wet slate minerality drive the wine’s energy. Hand-harvested with shears and field-sorted, the fruit was whole-cluster pressed and fermented with 100% native yeast. The wine was aged with 95% fermented in stainless steel and 5% in a 500L neutral French oak barrel. Sourced from the Seneca Lake AVA in New York’s Finger Lakes, the vines grow on steep to very steep western-facing slopes of up to 55%, rooted in blue slate, glacial till, limestone, and glacial shale.
This wine opens with a wild, almost savage nose reminiscent of green or yellow Chartreuse—fennel, licorice, and savory herbs. Then it takes all the fruit you expect from Riesling and, as winemaker Phil Plummer puts it, “puts it on the grill.” The result is a smoky, almost incense-like character on the palate, with crisp, medium-bodied texture and a crunchy mineral core. The finish is long, smoky, and laced with stony intensity.
The 2022 vintage is a bit richer and broader on the palate than the 2021, delivering consistent aromas and flavors of wet slate minerality, a panoply of white and yellow wildflowers, a touch of honeycomb or beeswax, and an expressive kumquat character. Salty-savory acidity and a stark mineral drive frame the wine, while the floral notes shine brightly on the extended finish. Bone-dry, electric, and a real joy to sip.
The Riesling Bubbly Dry #356 2023 from Boundary Breaks in the Finger Lakes AVA is a bright, focused sparkler made from sustainably certified, estate-grown Riesling clone #356. Fermented in stainless steel and finished with forced carbonation, it delivers a crisp, linear profile marked by vivid, mouthwatering acidity. Just-ripe orchard fruits—green apple and pear—are framed by a saline-mineral tension, with the faintest whisper of petrol and wet slate adding complexity to the dry, refreshing finish.
In contrast to the 2021 and 2022 vintages, the 2023 Estate Dry Riesling is driven by tropical fruit, opening with mango and pineapple before unfolding into white peach, pear, and yellow apple. The wine is intensely fruit-forward, but it’s all crunchy fruit rather than fleshy, carried by a spine of zippy acidity that brings its own crisp bite. The long finish reveals savory notes of herbed almonds and bright sea spray, underscored by a distinct saline edge.
The 2024 Estate Dry Riesling is an exceptionally polished wine. It opens with a flinty, almost reductive edge, layered with beeswax, lime blossom, apricot, pear, and crunchy red apple over a soft, fleshy core. Despite its impression of sweetness, the wine is bone-dry, acid-driven, and remarkably long on the medium-bodied finish. Tasting it professionally, I found myself swallowing small sips just to be sure I loved it as much as I knew I did. You will too—it’s simply irresistible. Native yeast fermented in stainless steel. It is the most complete of the Estate Dry Riesling wines I tasted, and a remarkable effort from Hobb’s New York State winery.
Even before the first swirl, the 2024 Hillick & Hobbs Lower Terrace Estate Dry Riesling releases floral aromas that lift from the glass—super-fragrant, high-toned honeysuckle, jasmine, and acacia, with a delicate touch of rosemary blossom. On the palate, a supple silkiness resonates through the mid-palate before giving way to a chalky mineral finish accented by crushed almonds and emerging tropical fruit notes of peach and underripe mango. The finish is almost slippery, making this an all-too-easy quaffer.
The North Ravine bottling of Paul Hobbs’ Estate Dry Riesling from Hillick & Hobbs, his winery on Seneca Lake in New York’s Finger Lakes region, is a dynamic and expressive white wine that bursts from the glass with jasmine and honeysuckle florals. It’s like springtime in a glass—open it in the dead of winter and you’ll be transported to sunnier, warmer days. On the palate, there’s a sense of warmth and generosity layered over cool notes of wet slate, sea spray minerality, and crunchy orchard fruit. A subtle mix of muddled honey and lemon adds depth and dimension. The floral notes carry through to a wonderfully lengthy finish, making it irresistible sip after sip.

Vintage

Wine

Type

Rating

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