Ravines Wine Cellars: Consistently Exceeding Expectations
By Lenn Thompson, Founder and Editor-in-Chief
No matter how opened minded you are, you have expectations when you walk into a tasting room. Whether about the wines, the staff, the crowd, or the overall experience, you have expectations. You just do.
In any wine region, it's the wineries that consistently exceed those expectations that separate themselves from the rest of the pack.Those are the standouts that get, and deserve, the attention.
Ravines Wine Cellars, on the eastern side of Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes wine region, is one such winery.
Three years ago, I had only just heard about Ravines Wine Cellars, a small producer co-owned by Lisa and Morten Hallgren. I tasted a few wines not long after and though "Hey, this is a winery worth watching."
Then last spring, Nena and I found ourselves standing in the Ravines tasting room with the couple as Morten, who is also the winemaker, poured wine after wine — including some older rieslings, pinot noir and even a chardonnay.
Jackson was with us, always an interesting proposition, but Lisa helped entertain him with a soccer ball and then a pop-up school bus he was climbing in and around.
It was, without a doubt, the visit of the weekend. We expected good riesling, but the rest of the portfolio, along with the Hallgrens' hospitality and generosity, were above and beyond.
And so, the bar set sufficiently and extremely high, we paid a return visit to Ravines Wine Cellars on a cool, soggy July Friday, joined by our travel companions C & A, as well as Evan and his definitely-better-half, Morgan.
And once again, Morten and Lisa exceeded my every expectation.
First, Lisa was kind enough to prepare a seemingly simple lunch of local greens and two savory tarts for us to enjoy as we tasted. I say seemingly simple because there is nothing simple about making one's own puff pastry. Yes, Lisa makes her own. I only know one other person who does that and he's obsessed with food.
These tarts — one bacon and onion, one summer squash and feta — were simply amazing. Lisa cooks often for various winery events and Keuka Wine Trail happenings. That's reason enough to attend, I think.
Back to the wines. Tasting Morten's 2006 and 2007 Dry Rieslings side-by-side was like looking through a crystal clear looking glass at the two vintages. The 2006, long a favorite, is all lime, river rock and fresh acidity. The 2007, a much warmer year, is broader, with more peach and tropical fruit, and less electric acidity.
We tasted a few 2008 wines as well, including an impressive Argetsinger Vineyard Riesling (see my review of the 2007) and a dry rose made with pinot noir that I enjoyed enough that I asked to buy a bottle even though it's not released yet.
That gets me to the wine that truly exceeded every expectation: Ravines Wine Cellars 2007 Meritage, a ripe, complex blend of Bordeaux varities that balances intense fruit (from that hot 2007 vintage) with cool climate nuance and elegance. This is a wine that proves this class of wine can be done very well in the Finger Lakes, just not every year.
Anytime anyone asks me for recommendations for the "best" wineries in the Finger Lakes, Ravines always makes the list. The Hallgrens are clearly driven to continually improve every facet of the operation. The hard work shows.
One of the first stories I ever wrote for LENNDEVOURS was about Ravines (and also my first print article). Morten’s abilities and insticts continue to impress and I’m always looking forward to the winery’s new releases.
I might needle you a bit, Lenn, about the “not every year” comment. I think it depends what you mean. Can you always get such intense fruit every year? Of course not. Can a master winemaker make a consistently good blend almost any year? I think the answer to that is yes, although it’s a limited group. Many wineries do drop the ball on their reds in a cooler vintage.
It’s a distinction I’ve been thinking about for awhile now. What really counts in defining a region-a select few, or the aggregate?
Excellent review, Lenn. Here’s a question I’ve been pondering, and perhaps it’ll find its own post eventually:
The Ravines ’07 Meritage will likely retail for the same price as the ’06 and the ’05. Should it? Morten often talks about the idea that wine should be different from year to year — that should be celebrated and explored. And yet, I don’t think it means that wine will be the same quality from year to year.
But if a winery charges more in an outstanding vintage, is it a signal to consumers to stop buying other vintages? That’s a big risk, I suppose.
In years like 07 maybe wineries should make more “reserve” wines, declaring them age worthy and setting a higher price point for them.
Leave the varietal wines the same year to year.
Wonderful review Lenn. Exposing our customers and our sales reps to the potential of the Finger Lakes has been good fun indeed. I have had the opportunity to taste some of Morten’s wines with some of my French producers and it is great to see them declare that Morten’s Riesling is what Alsace was…25 years ago!
Great work Morten and Lisa and thanks to the retailers and restaurant staff willing to take the time to tell Ravine’s story.
RR
Winebow - distributor for Ravines