Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesEnticing, with bright honeysuckle and orange blossom notes leading the way, backed by Meyer lemon, white peach and clementine flavors at the core. The racy, fresh finish has nice tension, with a quinine note lingering. Drink now
This bottling combines fruit grown on the limestone-based soils of White Springs and the slate soils of 16 Falls. It has a beguiling scent of camellia and lemon, overlaying a pineapple depth of flavor and granular texture. Its flavors are elegant and light, with succulence and a phenolic persistence that feels complex and grippy. It’s a lot of wine for the price.
The 2019 Dry Riesling is a roughly equal blend of Seneca Lake's 16 Falls and White Springs vineyards (with just a dollop from Keuka Lake). It's dry (four grams of sugar, with 9.2 grams of total acidity) and comes in at 12.5% alcohol. This drinks well, perhaps thanks to having that extra year of bottle aging. The acidity, though evident, is well integrated and countered by the fruit. There's plenty of power, but it is never shrill. The juicy finish is also filled with fruit. This is a super Dry Riesling and a nice bargain. It should age well and develop more, but it is going to be hard to resist this summer. Best After 2022
Still a little shy, but the aromas of mirabelle and aromatic apple are enticing. Light, cool and restrained personality. This is an elegant dry Finger Lakes riesling with excellent balance. A touch of fine tannin underlies the very clean finish. Drink or hold.
Ravines was created by Morten and Lisa Hallgren in 2000. Morten, a French-trained oenologist, came to the Finger Lakes from his family’s centuries-old estate in the South of France. He and his wife and business partner, Lisa, convinced of the potential for fine winemaking in the Finger Lakes, opened their original tasting room on 17 acres of sloped, shale stone soils nestled between two deep ravines on Keuka Lake.
They focus on making fine, classically-styled wines that allow for the cool-climate characteristics to be shown without compromise - creating their own unique expression within the Finger Lakes wine region.
As the most historic wine-producing region in New York state, winemaking in the Finger Lakes area dates back to the 1820s and today as a region, accounts for 90% of the state’s total wine production.
Its narrow and deep lakes created by the movement of Ice Age glaciers create an environment similar to the classic Riesling-loving regions of Europe, namely Germany and Austria. The Finger Lakes retain summer heat that incidentally warms up cold winter air, making it fall down from the lakes’ steep slopes. When spring comes, the lakes, already cooled by cold winter weather, stave off vine budding until the danger of frost has subsided. The main lakes of the zone, that is those big enough to moderate the climate in this way, are the focal points of prime vineyard areas. They include Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca and Cayuga.
While Riesling has fueled most of the region’s success, today Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc enjoy some attention.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.