2024 Forge Cellars - Dry Riesling Seneca Lake Freese Vineyard (750ml)

Forge Cellars is a Franco-American partnership founded in 2011 on the southeast shore of Seneca Lake. Louis Barruol of Château de Saint Cosme in Gigondas teamed up with Finger Lakes partners Rick Rainey and Justin Boyette to make site-driven dry Riesling and Pinot Noir, bringing a Rhône vigneron’s sense of precision to the region. Their focus is on expressing the lake’s cool climate and varied soils, one vineyard at a time.

The Freese Vineyard is one of Forge’s cornerstone sites on the southeast slope of Seneca Lake, with slate and shale-rich soils, steep gradients and a cool mesoclimate. Recent vintages of this wine are wild fermented in neutral oak puncheons and aged on lees for ten months, in keeping with the winery’s low-intervention approach.

This Finger Lakes dry Riesling from Seneca Lake shows generous stone fruit and citrus, with tropical notes and a mineral edge from the shale soils. Bone dry yet full in body, it carries bright acidity and a long, precise finish. It is a versatile partner for rich seafood, pork, poultry or spicy dishes.