Best of show at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition
Riesling is our reason for being at Red Newt Cellars. No bottling sums that up quite like “the Knoll” of Lahoma Vineyards, which first emerged as a single vineyard Riesling in 2013.
The “Knoll” is a pristine vineyard on a well drained knoll above the rest of Lahoma Vineyards. A small 2 acre block located in the heart of Lahoma vineyards, the “Knoll” is planted in Dunkirk soil on a hillock nestled between two creeks. At a moderate 830 feet elevation with a gentle slope, the Knoll is unique in its expression of Riesling. The sandstone derived soil provides excellent water drainage which is a boon in wet growing seasons. The winemaking team implements extra care in performing leaf thinning and negative fruit selection in the weeks leading up to harvest. All these factors result in the Knoll being the last block of table fruit to be picked, with notable ripeness and concentration found in the fruit and the resulting wine.
According to winemaker Kelby James Russell, “The Knoll is such a beautiful vineyard site for us to work with at Red Newt, it is just a joy to be able to bottle such a special wine every year and see that other also appreciate it.”
Reviews of the Vintage 2016:
Intense aromas of honey, white peaches, green mangoes and limes, leading to a palate that has a succulent, deeply flavorsome core of limes and grapefruit. The acidity balance is scintillatingly precise and the overall impression is seamless. Amazing fruit intensity here. – James Suckling 96 points
The 2016 Riesling The Knoll – Lahoma Vineyards is from Seneca Lake. It is scheduled for release in September. It comes in with five grams of residual sugar, 7.5 of total acidity and 13.2% alcohol. While I’ve been talking about the 2017s being relatively friendly, 2016 is a warm vintage, and the balance is very different here too. Unlike the 2017s, however, which was also a very productive vintage, in 2016 there is compensating concentration as a generalization. – Wine Advocate 93 points.
Check out our video wine byte about the 2016 Riesling “the Knoll” Lahoma Vineyards
