The Barry brothers sent me a second bottle of the 2022 The Florita Riesling, which I am tasting here today, because they felt that it wasn't showing as well as it could the first time when I tasted it in October (it had only been bottled four weeks prior). In truth, I think it was showing just as well then as it is now, and it is a superstar. 2022 seemed to harness the fruit from the vineyard and boost it: more power, more concentration, more acid, more vivid ... just such exceptional wines. I've said this before, but 2022 could easily be the best vintage in the last 20 years, and for those who know, that takes us back to the great, the age-worthy, the revered 2002 vintage. This is a collector's year. Do not waste the opportunity, because the vintage, coupled with the screw-cap closure, will allow the wine to age for a long time.

Tasted at the Armagh Hut with Sam and Tom Barry, the 2021 The Florita Riesling is tight and compressed: this is growing/evolving in the bottle already, showing lavender, lemon zest, layers of brine, red apples and plenty of spice. It is more compressed than the 2022 but showing more development. Duh. Super long. The 2021 vintage was cool and good. Everyone was very happy with that. This was cut from the same cloth as the 2022 vintage, but perhaps the resultant wines didn’t have the depth of fruit power as 2022. There was little bit of rain (about a millimeter) before picking, so they had to work a little harder with the fruit picking. And it was bit warmer than 2022.

Tasted at the Armagh Hut with Sam and Tom Barry. The 2020 The Florita Riesling is broader, flatter and richer than the 2022 and 2021. The warmth of the season is evident in the glass, and while it has line and length through the finish, I feel that the season has birthed an earlier-drinking style. It billows with fruit weight. The phenolics give it a bitter nut character laced through the finish.

Tasted at the Armagh Hut with Sam and Tom Barry, the 2019 The Florita Riesling leads with layers of every kind of apple on the nose—red, green and Golden Delicious apples in profusion. This is a big step toward development from the 2020, and certainly the 2022! There is honeysuckle and toast through the finish. This is fresher than the 2020 in some ways but related by their warm, dry seasons.

Tasted at the Armagh Hut with Sam and Tom Barry, the 2018 The Florita Riesling leads with a Comté cheese character, but it has energy and flow in abundance. There are notes of cheesecloth—lanolin, even—fennel flower, brine, walnuts… I love this vintage in the reds, and it’s super cool to see how well it translated to the whites as well! This is great. Yum.