Ravines Wine Cellars
Finger Lakes Chardonnay
Finger Lakes, New York, USA
Ripasso chard. Excellent on its own and with the lobster.
Ripasso chard. Excellent on its own and with the lobster.
Aug 23rd, 2015
First Finger Lakes chardonnay, and perhaps the first cold-climate domestic one I've had as well! This is so great, really caught me off guard, although it's from Ravines so maybe that shouldn't be as surprising; they know what they're doing. Meyer lemon, yellow apple, a bit of honeydew melon, starfruit, hard cheese rind, nice supporting chalky, crushed rock minerality, and a bit of baking spices and crème brûlée from well balanced new oak. Full bodied and very richly textured (the texture is actually what really gets me here, very silky and refined) and the flavors come across concentrated on the palate, yet there's a still a feeling of focus and linearity here; it's not too rich or broad. Alcohol is comfortable, with acidity at a moderate level but still plenty enough to keep it in balance as well. Really interesting use of passito technique in a portion of this cuvée to add a bit of richness to the fruit character as well as help a cold climate wine like this achieve the texture it has. Honestly, kind of reminds me of Roulot Bourgogne Blanc. Serious value. Also, ROCKED it with bacon-wrapped scallops!
First Finger Lakes chardonnay, and perhaps the first cold-climate domestic one I've had as well! This is so great, really caught me off guard, although it's from Ravines so maybe that shouldn't be as surprising; they know what they're doing. Meyer lemon, yellow apple, a bit of honeydew melon, starfruit, hard cheese rind, nice supporting chalky, crushed rock minerality, and a bit of baking spices and crème brûlée from well balanced new oak. Full bodied and very richly textured (the texture is actually what really gets me here, very silky and refined) and the flavors come across concentrated on the palate, yet there's a still a feeling of focus and linearity here; it's not too rich or broad. Alcohol is comfortable, with acidity at a moderate level but still plenty enough to keep it in balance as well. Really interesting use of passito technique in a portion of this cuvée to add a bit of richness to the fruit character as well as help a cold climate wine like this achieve the texture it has. Honestly, kind of reminds me of Roulot Bourgogne Blanc. Serious value. Also, ROCKED it with bacon-wrapped scallops!
May 28th, 2016