Wine Review: Forge Cellars’ German-style Rieslings in New York’s Finger Lakes AVA

By Taylor Rausch
October 16, 2024

I couldn’t help myself with this post you guys. The summer of 2024 brought out the Riesling-drinking lieutenant in me; I was searching constantly for it. What stimulated this interest you ask? It started when I visited the Mosel Valley in Germany for a wine conference where I had a transcendent experience with winemakers who have been cultivating the Riesling grape for generations. I would have preferred to stay in Riesling country, sipping Grosses Gewachs (GG) and painting clouds – a boy can dream! – but I had to return to the quiet charms of the Pacific Northwest and leave behind my windowpane view of the Mosel Valley. 

Lust had been ignited after my return, and the search for quality Riesling began. Low and behold, the folks at Champion Wine Cellars in Seattle pulled together more than I could bargain for.

Of their mass collection, they bestowed two from Forge Cellars: 2019 ‘Freese’ Dry Riesling and 2019 ‘Caywood’ Dry Riesling.

Forge Cellars is housed in the cool climate of the Finger Lakes AVA in New York where Riesling thrives. This collaborative venture was founded by three friends – French winemaker Louis Barruol of Château de Saint Cosme in Gigondas, Managing Partner of Forge Cellars Richard Rainey, and renowned Finger Lakes winemaker Justin Boyette – with the intent to reflect the unique terroir of Seneca Lake. A bold strategy indeed!

A French winemaker with a laudable history for full-bodied reds venturing from the warm climate of the Southern Rhone to the cool climate of New York may have you thinking he took the wrong flight. But his generational winemaking has allowed him to help produce outstanding Rieslings.

I’m a sucker for the intense and complex fruit notes of the 2019 harvest, but of the two, I preferred the 2019 Freese Vineyard Riesling over the 2019 Caywood Vineyard. The Freese was round and silky across the mid-palate and the depth of green and yellow fruit was not as angular. The Caywood had a herbaceous tendencies that made it dance across the tongue incongruently in comparison. The Caywood presented amazing qualities, but for my taste the Freese held its own better.

Esteemed in their own right, both these wines highlighted characteristics of their vineyards’ terroirs.  

Forge Cellars ‘Freese’ Dry Riesling, 2019

Where to buy: Champion Wine Cellars - $23.00

Bright and golden in color – nearly indistinguishable from a chardonnay. The aromas of apple, pears, and dried lemon were intermediate-to-strong. I worked hard to try and find minerality but the wine had more of an orchard aroma than anything else. Now we taste: there’s the salinity – so sad I didn’t catch it on the nose. The flavors exploded with yellow apples, apricot and stewed pears. Chilling the wine awakened a refreshing finish that just wouldn’t quit!

Forge Cellars ‘Caywood’ Dry Riesling 2019 

Where to buy: Champion Wine Cellars - $23.00

This Riesling was softer; I could almost call the aroma peach fuzz. It had a minerality similar to the Freese and the lemon component was much more prominent on the finish. The minerality developed into a more herbaceous wave too. I had to take a fifth sip to catch the honeysuckle and herbaceous notes. The sharp acidity was a link between the two as well – a ubiquitous characteristic of all Rieslings – and provided a great pairing quality with seafood, lighter dishes and vinaigrette salads. 

These exceptional Rieslings are the result of the 11 lakes that give the Finger Lakes AVA its name. However, if not for the vineyard soil composition and lower-elevation planting, the quality of the wines may not be as established. 

Of the lakes – Otisco, Skaneateles, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka, Canandaigua, Honeoye, Canadice, Hemlock, and Conesus – Forge Cellars prefers to plant near Seneca, the widest and deepest of them all at 43,342 acres wide and 650 feet deep. The vineyards’ close proximity to the lake softens the extremes of the northeastern weather across the seasons, and the considerable cooling effects helps to retain each Rieslings’ naturally high acidity.

The soilage makeup of the vineyards and lower-elevation planting helps to balance the cooling effects of Seneca Lake. Composed of shale, limestone, gravel, and silt, these soils drain water well and reflect heat, allowing grapes to ripen fully while contributing distinctive minerality.

The Freese Vineyard is sloped at an elevation of 768 feet above sea level, keeping the vines warm enough in this cool climate. At a higher elevation, the grapes may not ripen fully. 

This second Forge Riesling comes from the Caywood Vineyard, an old timer of the Finger Lakes AVA, that was planted in the 1970s by Charles Fournier, past winemaker and production manager at Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin. When the winemaking team of Forge Cellars stomped through the tall grass field they found vine trunks the width of small trees. These vines still cultivate grapes to this day and the result are wines with great depth, known for notes of herbs and spices.

I got a chance to taste with Louis Barruol during a wine expo. His depth of knowledge as a 14-generational winemaker and connection to French wine history is unparalleled. Providing his acumen to the United States is truly a gift. I didn’t have a chance to taste wines from Forge when we met unfortunately; it was all about the Gigondas and Saint Cosme – but trust me, I’m not complaining! 

I was beyond stoked to talk with him and learn about the connection between French winemaking and good Riesling. Memories like these are what forge (nice) a deeper relationship with the wines I discover.

I absolutely adore the winemaking team. It is clear they utilize techniques established in other parts of the world – and have been perfected over centuries – when crafting Forge Cellars wines. The natural fermentation process with both the Caywood and Freese develop highly complex profiles. A true hidden gem in North American wine. 

Freese baby, Freese!