The property across the street from our very favorite B&B has always been somewhat of a mystery. For a long time, nothing ever happened over there. But a few years ago, the once quiet property came to life. Cars were entering and exiting; there was vineyard work being done; and we started to hear rumors of a new winery.
All of that hustle and bustle became Ryan William - a small farm winery located on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake in Hector, NY. The area is known as the "Banana Belt" - a unique micro-climate created by a combination of the deep lake water and the sloping hillsides - an ideal spot for grapes.
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| The vineyards extend from the road to the shoreline |
They recently opened and we decided to check it out. We scooped up a friend and headed down the long driveway to the tasting room. It is a humble but comfortable space and our tasting room host was welcoming and pleasant.
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| Clouds floating up the lake in the early morning |
The tasting lineup was solid. It started with the 2011 Riesling. It was mineral and wet slate on the nose, nice acidity, and a hint of honey on the finish. 1.2% RS.
2012 Chardonnay - 50% barrel fermented, 50% stainless, no malolactic fermentation. I'm not a big Chard fan but this one was quite nice.
2010 Pinot Noir - The fruit is from 3 year old vines. This is a very young wine that would definitely show better with decanting. It still needs to integrate a bit but there was some nice smoke and tobacco on the nose, with earth and cherry on the palate, and firm tannins that softened with time in the glass. I'm very excited about this one; with some bottle age, this looks like it will be the "men's club"-type of Pinot that I love.
2010 Cabernet Franc - I would have poured this before the Pinot. It's lighter bodied and fruitier and the Pinot just crushed it. My partner-in-crime liked this one more than I did - for me, it was a little hot.
They were also pouring two dessert wines. The 2010 Select Late Harvest Riesling - Sugar cane but oddly enough, not cloying at 18% RS; and the 2010 Bunch Select Late Harvest Riesling - Tropical fruit and peaches, also 18% RS.
Even after our visit, some mystery remains. Despite our best efforts to chat them up we were unable to find out much about the winery, the winemaker, or the history of the property. We asked friends in the area and scoured the internet but we still know little about Ryan William Winery. I did reach out to them for some more information but they declined my request at this time. All I can tell you is that we will keep trying and plan to stop in the next time we are in the area.
