Exciting Finger Lakes Wines from Ravines

This week I’m focusing on three wines from New York’s Finger Lakes that really impressed me.

Started in 2001, Ravines Wine Cellars is the product of Morten and Lisa Hallgren, whose palates were honed in the culinary and winemaking worlds long before they came to America. Morten, Danish by birth, grew up in Provence, where his parents owned Domaine de Castel Roubine. He went on to study oenology in Montpellier and worked at Bordeaux’s Cos d’Estournel.

He worked in wineries in Texas and North Carolina before taking a job at the renowned Dr. Konstantin Frank Cellars. It was here that he developed a passion for dry, bright Finger Lakes wine.

They now have 130 acres of estate vines. I love Finger Lakes wines, so I was excited to taste through these offerings. They were exciting and offer a lot of tremendous value, especially if you’re looking to stock up for Spring and Summer.

These wines were received as trade samples and tastes sighted.

2017 Ravines Wine Cellars Dry Riesling – USA, New York, Finger Lakes
SRP: $18
Light yellow color. Wow, these aromas pop! Peaches, limes, papaya, topped in white flowers, slate, minerals, mountain streams and crushed rocks. Precise acidity frames this wine beautifully, racy but juicy, with pretty lime, papaya and kiwi fruit. Perfumed with floral tones, too. Mineral City – Population: This Riesling. Wow, so much chalk, minerals, mountain stream. Precise and deep but so vibrant, this is a gnarly Finger Lakes Riesling that should age wonderfully. 52% White Springs Vineyard grapes and 48% from 16 Falls Vineyard, 3 g/l residual sugar. (92 points)

2019 Ravines Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Dry Rosé – USA, New York, Finger Lakes
SRP: $19
Deep copper color. So floral and spicy on the nose, with nettle, honeysuckle and rose petals on top of wild raspberry and tangy strawberries. Plush texture meets racy acidity on the palate, with flavors of white cherry, wineberry and McIntosh apple. The saline and mountain stream notes and beautiful, along with notes of crushed shells, white pepper and mint. A perfect spring or summer wine that would pair with so many foods. Really impressive pink here, all Pinot Noir, sourced primarily from the Argetsinger vineyard. (90 points)

2017 Ravines Wine Cellars Maximilien – USA, New York, Finger Lakes
SRP: $25
Deep ruby color. Spicy herbs on the nose with charcoal, menthol, black pepper, on top of tangy black cherries, raspberries and red currants. Bright acidity frames this wine, medium-bodied, with dusty tannins providing some structure. Tangy cherries and currants offer a bright appeal, while I get a lot of complexity in terms of pepper, leather, roasted chestnut, paprika and peat. Delightfully fresh and fun, but complex as well. Drinks great right now or could improve with some near-term cellaring. Includes 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Sauvignon. (90 points)

This post first appeared on the daily wine blog Terroirist.

Not a fan of Prosecco? These options may make you reconsider

I’ve written about Prosecco several times in the past, and I’m back again to highlight some wines that may make you rethink this region. There’s a maze of supermarket big brands and mass-produced wines, sure, but of you dig a bit deeper, there are some good ones to discover.

The best wines come from the hills in the Valdobbiadene appellation, as they tend to show much more mineral, chalky, flinty tones with more verve and brightness. And even as you move up tiers of quality, the price points tend to stay highly reasonable. Some folks may still look down on Prosecco as mass-produced brunch stuff, but there are some wines out there filled with character. When it comes to bubbles, I’m a Champagne guy through and through, but there are a few wines in this report that I would rather drink that some of the big house, widely-available Champagnes that run at least twice the price.

These wines were received as trade samples and tasted sighted.

2019 Trevisol Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Extra Dry Rive di Collato – Italy, Veneto, Prosecco di Valdobbiadene
SRP: $17
Aromas pop with white peach, guava, tones of lemon verbena, honeysuckle and crushed shells. Creamy texture, bright acidity, the wine sports white peaches, oranges and guava fruit, generous but fresh. Elements of crushed chalk, sugarcane and shells, with some salty undertones. Fun, fresh, juicy, balanced. (88 points)

2019 La Farra Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry Rive di Farra di Soligo – Italy, Veneto, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
SRP: $17
Pale lemon color with fine foam. So floral on the nose, with dandelion, mint, hay and wildflowers, with chalk dust over lemon and green apples. Creamy, lovely textural depth on the palate, moderate acidity. Juicy white peach, lime and green melon fruit, topped in dandelion, baby’s breath, floral perfume, with crushed shells. Notes of celery seed and mint add complexity. A lot going on here.  (90 points)

2019 Andreola Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Col del Forno Rive del Refrontolo – Italy, Veneto, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
SRP: $23
Medium straw color. The nose pops with lime, kiwi and lemon with marigolds, dandelion, crushed shells, some mint and sliced cucumber tones. Bright and focused on the palate, light but vibrant, with lemons and green apples, kiwi and white peach. Topped in chalk dust, mint, seashells. Fresh, focused, fun, but solid complexity, too. (89 points)

2019 Colesel Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze Brut – Italy, Veneto, Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze
SRP: $25
Light yellow color. Deeper aromas than others in this report, with concentration, candied lemon, yellow apples, some slightly nutty tones accent the chalky, limestone vibes. Precise acidity frames this light wine, with lemon, orange peel and green apple. Dry and fresh with notes of mint, cucumber water, white lilies and crushed chalk. Shows complexity and depth that is impressive. (90 points)

N.V. Adami Prosecco di Treviso Brut “Garbèl” – Italy, Veneto, Prosecco di Treviso
SRP: $17
Pale lemon color. Aromas of floral perfume, crushed shells, some limes, lemon and mint. On the palate, this is light and zippy, pleasant melon and lemon fruit, with sugarcane and chalky tones. Floral, fresh and pleasant. (87 points)

2018 Adami Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Rive di Cobertaldo Vigneto Giardino “Ascuitto” – Italy, Veneto, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
SRP: $23
Light yellow color. Spritely and fresh on the nose, with lemons, green apples, floral perfume, chalk dust. Plush texture with crisp acidity, pleasantly plump but focused, too. Yellow and green apples with limes, kiwi. The clarity and focus in this Prosecco is really quite nice. I get minerals, talc, crushed shells, minerals, balanced sugarcane tones. A complex, pure expression of Valdobbiadene. (90 points)

2019 Adami Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Brut Rive di Farra di Soligo “Col Credas” -­ Italy, Veneto, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
SRP: $23
Medium yellow color. Aromas pop with floral perfume, talc, lemons, ruby red grapefruit and orange peel. On the palate, this is zippy and focused and fresh with a crunchy lemon, grapefruit and green apple fruit. Pronounced chalk, talc and mineral tones. Light, brisk, steely, but vibrant and complex, with a stony, mineral-laden finish. One of the more impressive Prosecco’s I’ve tasted and a delightful value worth seeking out. (91 points)

N.V. Adami Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut “Bosco di Gica” – Italy, Veneto, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
SRP: $20
Light yellow color. Smells of white flowers galore, with honey and chalk over top of shaved lemon and lime peels. Light and focused on the palate, brisk and taut with flavors of lemon and honeydew rind. Laced with crushed chalk, shells, sugar cane, along with notes of floral perfume, lemon verbena and cucumber water. Focused, shows solid depth and complexity, too. Serious value. (90 points)

This post first appeared on the daily wine blog Terroirist.