With its sappy-ripe peachy fruit, the Empire Estate Dry Riesling (Finger Lakes, NY) 2016 $18 [Very Good to Very Good+] shows the power of the 2016 vintage. Very dry, with well-concentrated flavors, and an interesting interplay of ripe fruit with tingly acidity and mineral notes, this is a flexible wine that can be sipped or served with food. It improved after a day in the fridge, so consider putting a bottle away for a year or two.
Medium straw in color, tangy aromas of lemon oil, peach, state, loamy earth, and a hint of honey have good intensity. Dry and medium bodied, this is a soft mouthful of wine; it benefits from a good dose of tingly and lightly peppery acidity. Balance is very good. Flavors of lemon, lime, sappy peach and a good deal of chalky mineral have very good concentration. The finish is chalky, lip smacking, with very good length. October 2017
