2025 Apollo's Praise - Riesling Kabinett Seneca Lake Lahoma Vineyard (750ml)

Apollo's Praise is the passion project of husband-and-wife winemaking team Kelby James Russell and Julia Rose Hoyle. Their story began at Fox Run Winery on Seneca Lake, where both worked their way from the tasting room into production before taking on head winemaking roles at Red Newt Cellars and Hosmer Vineyards, respectively. In April 2023 they purchased the nearly 20-acre Lahoma Vineyard on the west side of Seneca Lake, the very site where Kelby built his reputation crafting "The Knoll" Riesling during his years at Red Newt Cellars.

The Kabinett bottling celebrates one of Riesling's most delicious yet misunderstood styles, explosively aromatic with ripping acidity underpinning its youthful charm, and typically lower in alcohol than the winery's dry expressions. This small planting sits on the farm's smallest hill, which consistently yields precocious fruit regardless of vintage conditions. The Kabinett grapes are picked intentionally early to preserve bright orchard fruit and acidity, then given a gentler cellar treatment than the winery's Dry Riesling: crushed and cold soaked for just 24 hours before a cool, slow, aromatic fermentation.

The resulting wine shows a raucous aroma of ripe peach, passion fruit, kiwi, and mango, with a bright, cheery midpalate where fruit sweetness is balanced by quenching acidity, finishing clean and crisp. This off-dry style is generous and immediately appealing, yet built with the structure to age gracefully over years.

Pair with spicy Asian cuisine, roast pork, or simply enjoy on its own as a refreshing aperitif.