The father/son team of Jay and Seth Birnbaum recently purchased Sunrise Hill Vineyard- famous for a bevy of vineyard-designate bottlings from the likes of Boundary Breaks, Forge and Damiani- from Kathy and Bob Ruis, retaining Bob as vineyard manager. Given such continuity, it’s no surprise that the Birnbaums’ first bottlings, all 2024, are true to their grape varieties and a pleasure to drink.
The Birnbaum 2024 Dry Riesling, from the same plot Forge bottles its Sunrise Hill Riesling, is fully dry and big-framed (as the 12% alcohol implies), yet features a tender core of pure Riesling fruit, unblemished by petrol or reduction. This is a Riesling for substantial, "main course" dishes, and the acidity gives the impression that a few years' aging might be warranted. Whatever the case, this wine immediately goes onto the TFWR "A-list" of Finger Lakes Dry Riesling.