Article and Photos by Dave Nershi, CSW
Forge Cellars is a collaboration between French wine
vigneron Louis Barruol and US wine industry veteran Rick Rainey. It is located
on Seneca Lake’s east side and offers a spectacular lake view. The Salon, a stylish alpine-inspired tasting
room, offers indoor and outdoor seating.
This was my first visit to Forge, although I have sampled
their wine before. They debuted with the 2011 vintage. At that time, the wines
were being poured at the Hector Wine Company and they started with a few
hundred cases of dry Riesling. In 2023 they produced 10,000 cases and have a
goal of producing 13,000.
Barruol comes from 14 generations of winemaking tradition.
His family has been located in the Rhône Valley village of Gigondas since the
16th century. In 1992 he took over the Château de St. Cosme estate,
regarded as the finest in Gigondas.
Rainey is a master of the wine business, spending more than
20 years in all aspects of distribution and working as a buyer for a French wine
portfolio. With a goal of one day owning a winery, he naturally gravitated to
partnerships with growers – something essential for Forge.
Rick has the commercial vision and helped create the Forge
tasting salon and Louis has decades of winemaking knowledge essential to create elevated wines. The amazing
partnership has created a Finger Lakes phenomenon.
During our recent visit, we were greeted by winemaker Léana
Godard. A native of France, she earned an oenology degree from the University
of Bordeaux and served as Louis’ intern and mentee at Château de St. Cosme. She began work at Forge Cellars in 2018 and
split her time between France and the US before transitioning to the Finger
Lakes in 2022.
Although Forge produces Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc, the shining star is Riesling. Forge offers 11 single vineyard Rieslings plus a Classique bottling, which is a blend of all the single vineyard bottlings. It’s almost too joyful for a Riesling lover to endure.
The vineyards used are located on an eight-mile stretch of the southeast side of Seneca Lake. The varied soils, elevations, and proximity to the lake give each vineyard a distinctive personality. The unifying factor for all the sites is shale. The shale helps the soil retain heat and promotes good drainage. It’s brittle, so the roots can go deep in their search for nutrients. This slice of terroir enjoys warmer temperatures than most of the Finger Lakes region, earning its name as the "Banana Belt."
Each of the single vineyard Rieslings is commendable. Here are my personal favorites:
2021 Willow Vineyard is delicate and finessed with no
biting, a nuanced wine with tropical fruit notes.
2022 Wagner Caywood East is from a sloping, windswept
vineyard at 978 feet of elevation. It has a beautiful freshness with an accent on
minerality.
2022 Bellows Vineyard is from rocky and gravelly soil and has concentrated flavors of honeydew and citrus blossom.
The 2022 Breakneck Creek Vineyard has herbal notes and a vibrant
nature. Green apple, peach, and minerality add to the complexity.
The 2021 Classique is a snapshot of Forge Cellars, using grapes
from all the vineyards and requiring a tasting of 50 or so different samples to
get just the right mix. Look for tree fruit flavors with citrus and a touch of
creaminess. Classique accounts for about one-third of Forge's sales.
Forge Cellars is a must-visit destination in the Finger Lakes. Its old-style European winemaking blends seamlessly with the delicious cool-climate Riesling grapes from the Finger Lakes. The hospitality and comfort in the Salon is second to none in the region.
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