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TASTING NOTES

The Dr. Konstantin Frank 2023 Reserve Riesling is a refined and elegant wine, offering a harmonious blend of melon, cantaloupe, and apricot, with a touch of lemon zest. The palate showcases a delicate sweetness that is beautifully balanced by bright acidity, creating a vibrant yet smooth texture. This Riesling is versatile, making it an excellent match for rich cheeses, spiced cuisines, or slightly sweet desserts, enhancing the flavors with its well-rounded and sophisticated profile.

VINEYARD NOTES

Riesling was first brought to the Finger Lakes by our founder. Those original vines dating back to 1958 are still in production. Riesling blocks on our Keuka vineyard were planted in 1958, 1962, 1968, 1976, 1999, 2006, and 2012 with various clones (88, 90, 11, 318, 239, 49, 110, 38). Soils here are shallow, shale-based which add minerality, acidity, and elegance. Riesling was planted in 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2012 on our Seneca estate vineyard with 90 and 356 clones. Temperatures here are a few degrees warmer than Keuka thus providing riper fruit notes. Soils on Seneca are characterized by deep honeoye silt loam. A small portion of the grapes come from Eric Volz Vineyard, just north across the road from Dr. Konstantin Frank’s plantings on Keuka Lake.

WINEMAKER NOTES

The growing season of 2023 presented many opportunities and challenges. The winter was mild, with low cold stress on the vines. This led to an uncharacteristically warm spring, causing the vines to begin budburst early. In mid-May, the entire region experienced a freeze event that only happens once in a century. The freeze caused a loss of 10%-50% of buds, depending on location and grape variety. The reduction in buds per vine led to a concentration of the resulting grapes, which were of high quality. The ripening and harvest period from August to October followed the typical pattern for the Finger Lakes region, with warm days, cool nights, and occasional rainfall.

VINIFICATION

De-Stemmed. Direct Press. Pneumatic Press.

VESSEL

Stainless Steel. Temperature Controlled.

FERMENTATION

Traditional. No Malolatic Fermentation. Fermentation Stopped Before Dryness. 3.6% Sweetness.

ÉLEVAGE

Unoaked. 3 Months Lees Aging.

ACCOLADES