We tasted Hermann J Weimer Extra Brut 2016 among the first in the country and only two weeks after it was disgorged.
This bubbly comes from the Finger Lakes region in New York state, a hidden gem of the American wine industry. It’s a place where you can find some fantastic white wines that 99.99% of wine lovers around the world will never try. The production is so small that only a small number of bottles make it out of state.
Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard
Back in 1979, when Herman J Weimer founded his winery on the shores of Seneca Lake, few thought it was possible to grow grapes in this cool climate. On the contrary, Herman believed that the Finger Lakes’ unique soil types and lake’s moderating weather effects would make it possible to produce outstanding wines here.
What gave Hermann hope is his upbringing in a family with winemaking roots. His mother’s family had been making wine in Germany’s Mosel Valley for more than 300 years. His father, a skilled nurseryman, was responsible for restoring vines in the Mosel region after World War II.
Besides, German folk wisdom held that Riesling grapevines would flourish where black cherry trees thrived as they did in the Finger Lakes region.
Shortly after immigrating from his native Germany, Hermann purchased 80 acres of land near Dundee town on Seneca Lake and started planting the grapes. Countless hours, an uncanny skill at grafting, and a willingness to experiment to find the best clones of each varietal for the region helped Hermann establish the vineyard. An obsessive dedication to making the most authentic and elegant wine has caught the attention of the world’s most discerning wine critics earning Hermann the reputation as one of the top white wine producers in the United States.
We were blown away by the quality of the HJW wines from the first sip. It happened before we knew about this winery and the reputation of its wines. And before we seriously got into wine and learned that the Finger Lakes is among the top Riesling regions in the world.
Today winery is lead by Hermann’s long-term apprentice Fred Merwarth who took reins in 2007 when Hermann retired and handed the winery to Fred. The latter partnered with his university friend, Swedish agronomist Oskar Bynke, to carry on Hermann’s legacy.
We tasted wines made during Hermann’s leadership and after, and we must say that Fred and Oscar didn’t skip a beat.
Hermann J Weimer Extra Brut Riesling 2016
Hermann J Weimer Extra Brut Riesling 2016 is produced following the Méthode Traditionnelle. While this sparkling is made following the traditional method used in Champagne, Riesling is never used as a base grape. Unlike in France, Fred doesn’t have Champagne’s winemakers’ limitations and can make it with any grape varietal. That’s why it’s fun sparkling to try and why we added this bubbly to our Sabrage and Wine Tasting Party celebrating upcoming 2020. Who knew it’s going to be such a “non-traditional” year?!
Grapes for this sparkling are hand-harvested and hand-sorted. After the primary fermentation, dry Riesling wine is bottled and inoculated with yeast for the second fermentation in the bottle that will create the bubbles we love so much.
At the beginning of the post, we said that we tasted it two weeks after the disgorgement. What does that mean?
As traditionally made sparkling wine goes through a second fermentation and ageing, it accumulates some sediment. So before the release, the sediment must be removed, or you’ll get a muddy sparkling wine. So disgorgement is the process that makes your sparkling clear.
Sometimes the sediment is left in the bottle intentionally. And that’s how you get a popular nowadays pét-nat. Interestingly, we tasted 2018 All Hands Pettilant made from Riesling as well this year, but that’s another story.
In the Glass
Riesling is among the most intensely perfumed wines, and its bubbly form it was equally impressive.
2016 Extra Brut Riesling had aromas of white flowers and apricot jam, honey and beeswax, minerality and graphite, and even a hint of smoke.
Being Extra Brut, we expected it to be a touch off-dry compare to Brut. Surprisingly, it was almost bone-dry with flavors of lemon, yellow apple, and key lime pie.
The bubbles were tiny, and the rich mousse had a creamy sensation in the mouth.
Finish
2016 Hermann J Weimer Extra Brut Riesling was among the favorites at our Sabrage and Wine Tasting Party. Everyone was blown away by its aromas and its dry lime character on the palate.
While we enjoyed it just a couple of weeks after the release, we feel it would’ve benefited from a few months in the cellar to mellow after the shock of disgorgement. We look forward to tasting it again.
What are your thoughts if you tasted Hermann J Weimer’s or other wines from the Finger Lakes region?
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