Heart & Hands Wine Company 2008 Riesling

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

As you may have read, May is Riesling Month in the Finger Lakes and to take part we'll be publishing a riesling review every weekday throughout the month.

We have a variety of styles and a bevy of producers lined up, but we'll start this little project today with the Heart & Hands Wine Company 2008 Riesling ($19).

Heart & Hands is has quickly earned a reputation for its nearly singular focus on the pinot noir grape -- a unique proposition in the Finger Lakes to be sure. But, winemaker and co-owner Tom Higgins makes riesling too -- and not simply to round out the portfolio for summer tasting room visitors. 

Made using fruit grown by Jim Hazlitt at Sawmill Creek Vineyards on Seneca Lake, this fresh, mouth-watering riesling bursts with aromas of lime, citrus blossom, green apple and dried pineapple.

Off-dry in style (2.6% RS), it features mouth-filling flavors of juicy sweet apple, grapefruit, lime and honeyed peach spread out over the palate before an electric jolt of acidity cuts through all that fruit, drying out the finish. The finish brings back the floral-blossom character and a subtle grapefruit zest note.

One of the things I like best about this wine is the 8.3% ABV level. That means you can have a couple glasses with your meal without worry.

Producer: Heart & Hands Wine Company
ABV: 8.3%
RS: 2.6%
TA: 7.7 g/l
pH: 3.09
Case Production: 71
Price: $19
Rating: 87

(Ratings Guide)

Comments

[Evan Dawson]

Low ABV almost certainly indicates a stopped fermentation. Tom makes some beautiful Riesling, and perhaps he can share his thoughts on ABV levels.

[jim silver]

The pH is very low and the acidity high, I imagine the balance with the sugar was really fine at 2.6. Even with the low alcohol, I imagine this is built to last many years in the bottle.

[Tom Higgins]

Thanks for the kind comments.

Unfortunately, it was not meant to last on our shelves... we're down to our last case.

This was the first time I was able to intervene and get wonderful results using some of the natural residual sugar in place of higher alcohol. We haven't had one complaint in the tasting room that the wine, "didn't have enough alcohol."

We were able to refine our strategy and replicate this in 2009 amongst a few lots. I'm really excited with the results and it is a great blending tool in lieu of mixing bags of sugar cane.

Just a couple more weeks before the '09's are in the bottle!

Cheers,
Tom