When Nena, Jackson, Ben and I traveled to the Finger Lakes back in August, one of our favorite winery visits was at Ravines Wine Cellars on the eastern shore of Keuka Lake. We found the owners, Lisa and Morten Hallgren, charming, passionate and very friendly. And of course the wines were among the best we tasted as well. Clearly, Morten has learned how to get the best out of Finger Lakes grapes and is continuing to do better and better things.
I even enjoyed a couple of his reds, and you all know how I feel about most Finger Lakes reds.
This wine, Ravines 2007 Dry Riesling Argetsinger Vineyard ($25) had just been bottled when we visited, so we couldn’t taste it. It’s Morten’s first single-vineyard wine at Ravines and the fruit comes from one of the region’s oldest vineyards, the Argetsinger Vineyard located on Seneca Lake.
A pale yellowish green in the glass, this riesling from the hot 2007 vintage offers lightly floral aromas along with those of dried apricots and fresh lime with a great minerally quality. The palate is lighter bodied and lithe, but still fills the mouth with intense minerality, bursting citrusy-lime flavors and an undercurrent of apricots. Several 2007 riesling I’ve tasted were flat and lifeless, but this one is anything but. The acidity is almost electric in its liveliness and the finish is lengthy, lingering with lime and slate notes.
Morten only made 150 cases of this wine, so it’s only available at the winery. Unless you’re a member of the New York Cork Club, which means you’ll be getting it this week.
Grape(s): 100% riesling
Producer: Ravines Wine Cellars
AVA: Finger Lakes
Price: $25
Rating: 
(4 out of 5 | Delicious, Distinctive
)