By Tracy Schuhmacher Originally Posted December 20th 2017
Winemakers Rick Rainey, Louis Barruol and Justin Boyette of Forge Cellars in the Finger Lakes AVA, have been validated with top scores from Wine Spectator for their Forge Classique Riesling and Barruol’s Château de Saint Cosme 2015 Gigondas. It’s time for our team to head upstate and taste through this beautiful region – Marla Priest
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rick Rainey impatiently clicked on his computer keyboard. Refresh. Refresh. Refresh. Refresh.
It was 11 a.m. Nov. 20, the date and time that Wine Spectator was to release its annual Top 100 list online. A group had gathered, hopeful that Forge Wine Cellars would make its debut on the list. Rainey co-owns the 5-year-old Finger Lakes winery along with French winemaker-grower Louis Barruol and Justin Boyette, winemaker and co-owner of Hector Wine Company.
They had reason for their optimism. Two Forge Rieslings had received an impressive score of 92 on a 100-point scale in 2017, and its name had also popped up in articles that year.
“It was starting to smell like we could be in the top 100,” he said.
The group also was rooting for Barruol to have a good showing for his French winery, Château de Saint Cosme in Gigondas, in the southern Rhône wine region.
Finally the list popped up and Rainey started scrolling from the bottom.
100, 98, 97…
Ranked at 31, he found at the Forge Classique Riesling. Thrilled, he kept scrolling, and found Barruol’s Château de Saint Cosme 2015 Gigondas at number five.
“We all went nuts and the phone started ringing and texts started blowing up,” Rainey said. “It got really emotional. It was great.”
Barruol chimed in from France.
“I can’t even describe how excited he was for Forge,” Rainey said. “He was beside himself.”
Read full article here…
