Forge Cellars Riesling Classique Dry 2018

The 2018 Dry Riesling Classique is whole-cluster pressed, then fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in a mixture of 57% neutral French barriques and 43% stainless steel for about eight months. It comes in with 13% alcohol and just three grams of residual sugar. This, says the winery, is the first labeling with the Seneca Lake AVA. It is a blend of sites from the southeast side of Seneca. This has as much power as the single-vineyard wines, showing some bite from the wood and plenty of focus.

It holds up well to the upper level and comes at a bargain price. It may not have the finesse of the Leidenfrost, say, but it has as much depth and more power. And it's a lot cheaper—a word that only references price, not quality.