The vast majority of our collection of sites are situated on the downward slope closest to Seneca Lake, however, there are a few, such as Wagner Caywood East, that are nestled at the crest of the slope. Years ago, when Rick and grower, John Wagner were negotiating their partnership, John showed two plots that we could potentially work in. Of these two plots, we knew immediately that the one at the highest point of the slope, where the shale was most prevalent, would make an excellent addition to our collection.

Wagner Caywood East is a long, lean, windswept site with an extreme slope and bands of varied soils. The common thread among vintages from this site is a liveliness within the wine, an energy that the French would call nervosité.

This is the perfect example of how terroir transcends the varietal, and how Riesling can be used as a conduit of site expression. Winemaking practices among our Rieslings are exactly the same from site to site, yet there are stark differences between a wine like Wagner Caywood East and its slightly southern neighbor, Willow. Here, you have one site (WCE) with a much greater incline and more gravelly, shale-dominated composition, which tends to yield wines with a bit of tension and mineral focus, and another site (Willow) that sits on a softer grade with more moderating climatic factors from the lake, and finer sandy soils, which gives lift and grace, like a pirouette on the palate.

vineyard details

East side Seneca Lake - Lodi
Soils: Lansing and Conesus gravelly silt loam on shale
Harvest Date: Oct. 21
Spontaneous fermentation in neutral barrel
Residual Sugar: 0.14% (1.4 g/L)
Total Acidity: 7.4 g/L
Alcohol: 12.7% by vol.
Production: 471 cases

2021 Tech Sheet
2020 Tech Sheet
2019 Tech Sheet
2021 Vintage Offering