During the late 1990s and early 2000s, New York’s Finger Lakes region began showing tantalizing qualitative progress. A narrowed focus on Riesling as a lead variety was a major factor, along with a new generation of winemakers who brought a quality-first rather than quantity-first approach to grapegrowing and winemaking.
By the end of this century’s first decade, there was a small cluster of wineries leading the way—namely the venerable Hermann J. Wiemer, along with the likes of Standing Stone (now owned by Wiemer), Ravines, Heart & Hands, Anthony Road, Keuka Lake Vineyards, Lamoreaux Landing and Red Newt Cellars.
The final tipping point for the region in achieving world-class wine region status was when a few outside winemakers put down roots in the Finger Lakes. Among them was Louis Barruol from the Rhône Valley’s Château de St.-Cosme, the flagship domaine in Gigondas. Along with his partners, Barruol helped to raise the benchmark for quality in the region with his Forge Cellars. The project debuted with the 2011 vintage, with a few hundred cases of outstanding dry Riesling. Since then, it's grown to include 16 bottlings totaling 13,000 cases in 2019.
Adding more gravitas is winemaker Paul Hobbs, known for his Napa Cabernets as well as consulting work around the world. Hobbs’ project took a little longer to see results, but the debut Hillick & Hobbs Riesling Seneca Lake Dry Estate Vineyard 2019 (90, $35; see today's Finger Lakes Tasting Highlights for the official review as well as others) proves Hobbs’ search was worthwhile. It’s a bone-dry, fresh, high-pitched wine that features pippin apple, fennel and lime pith notes backed by a twinge of slate on the finish. It’s understated in style but has purity, latent length and a sense of precision.
The project nearly didn’t even happen. Partnering with German vintner Johannes Selbach, Hobbs began searching for a spot in 2010. Two years later and with nothing to show for it, he contemplated giving up. But Hobbs spotted a site south of Hector Falls he found reminiscent of the Mosel, with exposed slate soils on steep slopes. He pounced, buying the 78-acre estate in 2013.
This site’s steep slopes combined with the hardness of its slate soil made the site difficult to plant. Hobbs also wanted high-density plantings and a row alignment perpendicular to the lake, a system basically unseen in the region (most vineyards are planted with wide spacing and parallel to the lake for ease of farming and erosion control).
“We were limited to 5 acres at a time, to manage erosion,” says David Hobbs, Paul’s brother and general manager of the project. “We had to bring in engineers for terraces, water-retention ponds. Really no one had seen a project like this in New York.”
“We knew we’d have better airflow up and down slope, as well as drainage,” explains Paul about the row alignment. “With better airflow we knew we’d be able to greatly reduce pesticide use, and there’s much lower disease pressure too.”
“The other aspect is the sun,” says David. “By end of summer it’s a north by northwest aspect, and with this row alignment we get more even sun through the season.”
“We felt, again following the European models, that with higher density each vine will carry less fruit,” says Paul. “We’re pretty sure the vines won’t develop a deep root system because of the slate. You dig down two feet and it’s just a flat-as-an-ice–skating-rink slab of slate there. So by carrying less fruit we can get easier and even ripening and higher quality.”
The site, located in the town of Burdett, just 1.5 miles south of the region’s famed Argetsinger vineyard, now has 21 acres planted. In 2019 the vineyard produced just 28 tons of fruit—markedly lower than the more typical 6 to 7 tons per acre that other vineyards in the area yield. The wine is currently being made in the Sheldrake Point facility, while construction of a dedicated winery facility is underway and scheduled to be finished in time for the 2021 harvest.
The project is also a homecoming of sorts for Paul, who was born in upstate New York and planted vineyards with his father in Niagara County as a young man. Hillick is his mother’s maiden name.
“My dad knew Konstantin Frank [founder of the pioneering Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars] and he would go over to the Finger Lakes and get advice from him. We were growing hybrids only at the time, so it's sort of ancient history," said Paul. "But obviously it had an impact, as I really cut my teeth on those vineyards before moving on to California.”
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