2024 Riesling
Notebook: The 2024 Riesling shows off the ripeness of the vintage as well as the nuance and verve of its vineyard - Sawmill Creek. This site in Hector, NY has long been our source for Riesling, and its gravelly soils and west-facing slopes produce excellent fruit year after year. We let that complexity take center stage in this bottling: apple, citrus, tropical fruits, with a signature mineral richness on the finish.
This style of Riesling is extremely food friendly. A touch of sweetness balances spice and strong seasonings (think BBQ) while the fuller body makes it ideal with hearty autumn fare. It's also just a joy to drink on its own.
Vineyards: 100% Sawmill Creek Vineyards
Harvest Date: September 30 (10% Botrytis)
Fermentation: Direct to press, cold-settled and racked to stainless steel tank.
Aging: Aged in stainless steel tank on lees for 4 months with no fining. Filtered and bottled on July 1, 2025.
ABV 10.2%
RS 3.4%
Cases Produced 275
Riesling
'The Top Block'
Clone 239
Lansing gravel silt loam, 8% - 15% slope
Planted in 1999
Sawmill Creek Vineyards in Hector, NY is located along the southeast corner of Seneca Lake. Its steep-sided, southwest facing vineyards are widely recognized as among the best in the Finger Lakes. We thank the Hazlitt family for their dedication to sustainable farming and passion for wine growing.
Vinny Aliperti started his wine journey making wine as a teenager with his relatives, never considering it would one day become his profession. After graduating college with a liberal arts degree and a stint in the Peace Corps, an opportunity to pursue commercial winemaking on his native Long Island was presented and he never looked back. From 1997 through 1999, Vinny apprenticed under winemaker Roman Roth at Wolffer Estate, producing mostly Chardonnay and Merlot at its state-of -the -art facility.
In early 2000, Vinny moved his family to the Finger Lakes to work at the legendary Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, where he was first exposed to Riesling production. In 2001, Vinny joined the startup Atwater Estate Vineyards, where he continues today heading up winemaking operations for over 15 varieties. Its 8000 case facility produces estate grown wines, including multiple Rieslings, Gewurztraminer, Blaufränkisch and Cabernet Franc.
With Atwater's blessing, Vinny and his wife, Kim, started their own label, Billsboro Winery, in Geneva, NY in 2007. Sourcing grapes from Sawmill Creek Vineyards on Seneca Lake, Billsboro specializes in producing small lots dry vinifera wines, including Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, Syrah, and Pinot Noir.
