Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Dry Riesling White Springs comes in with just four grams of sugar (but nearly eight grams of total acidity) and 12.5% alcohol. Sourced from vines on limestone soil, this is bright, lively and refreshing as it dances across the palate. With all of the interesting wines that Ravines makes, it is sometimes easy to forget that Ravines is no slacker when it comes to the FLX signature offering—Riesling. This is tight and tense, with a stony and steely finish that grips the palate. Showing fine concentration, precision and a long finish, this has the opportunity to become even more special in time. You will have to like them dry and a little austere, though. This is a food wine, as a consequence of those traits, not a simple sipper. It will be interesting to see its development. It is, needless to say, a fine value.
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James Suckling
Very attractive candied-lemon and apricot aromas that are ripe and fresh. Concentrated and racy, this remarkably powerful dry riesling for the Finger Lakes packs quite a punch, yet remains very clean and crisp. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
This has lovely purity and cut, with jasmine, white peach, lemon curd and star fruit notes racing through, inlaid with seamless acidity and extending through a long, mineral-tinged finish. Drink now through 2020.
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.
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.