Perfect right from corking this time, and seemingly much richer. So silky and with such great tone. It takes all the normal pinot flavor of fruit,earth, and mineral, and packs it into a tight and well balanced package. Refreshing stuff.
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Don't be afraid to give this some air. This bottle was completely shut down on day one, almost watery. After a day under vacuum, and another two hours of air, it finally opened up to the wine in my previous note. Much more cranberry this time though, which is very refreshing. So compact, but so satisfying. A.
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This stuff is the real deal. Certainly the best finger lakes red I've ever had -- gives me high hopes for pinot noir in the region. Restrained and elegant from start to finish. extremely pale in color with a fresh and classic pinot nose. High acidity and cranberry fruit balanced with bramble and earth. Bravo!
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A previous reviewer summed this up dead on in four words, perfectly composed pinot noir. A 100% translucent expression of grape and place, there is a stunning purity of cherry, gravelly mineral, and earth that is like silk on the palate, and incredibly cool and delicious on the nose. Lean and lithe at 12.5%, not a hint of heat, just refreshing fruit and acid. This is not a wine that dazzles you with concentration. The best way I can describe the experience is like the tone from a perfectly struck acoustic guitar string, strong and linear, but gaining in depth as the volume recedes and the resonation increases. Under vacu vin and refrig, this was even better on day 2. A wine lover's wine. Bravo!
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Nice match for Christmas Eve dinner, with a variety of dishes and flavors on the table. Earthiness and cherries on the nose, with more cherry flavors and hints of spice cake on the palate. This is definitely not a California-style Pinot. The flavors are subtle and the fruitiness restrained. Well done. If I had to make one critical comment it might be that the mouthfeel was just a bit too light/thin.
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First off, this was one of the stand-out wines and wineries of my most recent trip to the Finger Lakes. Beautiful, light garnet, long legs, cherry syrup aroma, with a taste to match. Very European tasting Pinot, the wine maker is Burgundian trained. Slight tartness, but overall round and beautiful. Matched perfectly with my family Thanksgiving meal, yesterday.
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Surprisingly light color... more like a rosé. Bright fruit aroma... cherry I think. Fairly dry, but fairly smooth. A bit of the expected Pinot Noir spiciness.
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The color is a very light red -- so much that a significantly large part of the edge of the wine in the glass looks transparent. The smell and taste are (as other reviewers have noted) solid Pinot Noir. This is the perfect wine for a Thanksgiving meal -- when a weighty riesling or chardonnay could work but you don't want a white wine: A red like this becomes the perfect wine.
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Medium red. Tight nose of sour cherry, stems, earth, stems, and a touch medicinal. Palate is tight as well - with the cherry showing along with acid. A little austere and bitter for my taste. Has nice clarity and the mouthfeel is OK - not quite enough stuffing to handle the acidity. The sour cherry shows in the finish with a bit of mineral and substantial acid. Pretty good for a Finger Lakes Pinot. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 4/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 0/2 = 12/20 = 85/100.
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My first tasting of this wine in June caught me by surprise - not expecting much from a Finger Lakes pinot, I found the wine to possess a lot of delicacy and lightness that I value in pinot noir but hardly ever find in domestic versions anymore.
A second tasting in July was a bit less impressive, with the fruit having a bit more of a candied but pedestrian character. But definitely a promising pinot that makes me see the possiblities for this variety in the Finger Lakes. 89-91+
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In its own way this is even more impressive than the rieslings. Whether because the vineyards aren’t yet old enough or the wine itself isn’t yet old enough, it doesn’t show the depths and complexities of flavor that pinot noir from the most gifted sites can show. But what it does pull off is, in a way, an even more remarkable achievement. It is absolutely perfectly composed pinot noir, seamless and slender and without a hair out of place (12.5% alcohol, for those who keep track). What’s so striking about it is how effortlessly it manages to achieve this sense of balance and proportion. Many New World pinot noirs—and I am talking about the wines I like, wines I would even call world-class or potential grand crus—achieve flavors of the highest sophistication but couldn’t possibly manage to render them in so perfect a form. If they were even to try it would be like trying to squeeze into a dress several sizes too small. Which is to say that Ravines has already achieved the absolute hardest thing for a pinot noir to achieve.
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4/1/2023 - wgilbert3 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Lost my notes but surprisingly still very good. Soft, cherry notes with mushroom IIRC.
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7/20/2020 - Madera16 Likes this wine:
Very light, nice nose. Palate did not have a ton of weight, but this had aged well. Promising. Tasted quickly at the winery.
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11/28/2019 - FLXHoneymoon Likes this wine:
Still plenty of red fruit. Nice structure. This wine will go awhile yet.
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4/27/2014 - Tiderunner22 wrote: 90 Points
Translucent crimson color. Balanced earthy cherry notes supporting a classic Pinot Noir flavor profile. Very enjoyable Finger Lakes red.
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2/24/2013 - kenhoeve wrote: 92 Points
Possibly the most refreshing Pinot possible. An absolute triumph. Drink now.
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9/10/2012 - kenhoeve wrote: 92 Points
Goes down like a glass of Pinot ice water. Perfect Pinot tone. Delightful.
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7/2/2012 - kenhoeve wrote: 92 Points
Perfect right from corking this time, and seemingly much richer. So silky and with such great tone. It takes all the normal pinot flavor of fruit,earth, and mineral, and packs it into a tight and well balanced package. Refreshing stuff.
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3/23/2012 - kenhoeve wrote: 92 Points
Don't be afraid to give this some air. This bottle was completely shut down on day one, almost watery. After a day under vacuum, and another two hours of air, it finally opened up to the wine in my previous note. Much more cranberry this time though, which is very refreshing. So compact, but so satisfying. A.
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1/29/2012 - RichardsFLX wrote: 91 Points
This stuff is the real deal. Certainly the best finger lakes red I've ever had -- gives me high hopes for pinot noir in the region. Restrained and elegant from start to finish. extremely pale in color with a fresh and classic pinot nose. High acidity and cranberry fruit balanced with bramble and earth. Bravo!
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1/8/2012 - kenhoeve wrote: 93 Points
A previous reviewer summed this up dead on in four words, perfectly composed pinot noir. A 100% translucent expression of grape and place, there is a stunning purity of cherry, gravelly mineral, and earth that is like silk on the palate, and incredibly cool and delicious on the nose. Lean and lithe at 12.5%, not a hint of heat, just refreshing fruit and acid. This is not a wine that dazzles you with concentration. The best way I can describe the experience is like the tone from a perfectly struck acoustic guitar string, strong and linear, but gaining in depth as the volume recedes and the resonation increases. Under vacu vin and refrig, this was even better on day 2. A wine lover's wine. Bravo!
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12/24/2011 - billgeorge767 wrote: 88 Points
Nice match for Christmas Eve dinner, with a variety of dishes and flavors on the table. Earthiness and cherries on the nose, with more cherry flavors and hints of spice cake on the palate. This is definitely not a California-style Pinot. The flavors are subtle and the fruitiness restrained. Well done. If I had to make one critical comment it might be that the mouthfeel was just a bit too light/thin.
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11/25/2011 - jared_a_washburn wrote: 89 Points
First off, this was one of the stand-out wines and wineries of my most recent trip to the Finger Lakes. Beautiful, light garnet, long legs, cherry syrup aroma, with a taste to match. Very European tasting Pinot, the wine maker is Burgundian trained. Slight tartness, but overall round and beautiful. Matched perfectly with my family Thanksgiving meal, yesterday.
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10/4/2011 - bitterjeff Likes this wine: 88 Points
Surprisingly light color... more like a rosé. Bright fruit aroma... cherry I think. Fairly dry, but fairly smooth. A bit of the expected Pinot Noir spiciness.
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9/27/2011 - ID wrote:
The color is a very light red -- so much that a significantly large part of the edge of the wine in the glass looks transparent. The smell and taste are (as other reviewers have noted) solid Pinot Noir. This is the perfect wine for a Thanksgiving meal -- when a weighty riesling or chardonnay could work but you don't want a white wine: A red like this becomes the perfect wine.
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9/23/2011 - Seth Rosenberg wrote: 85 Points
Medium red. Tight nose of sour cherry, stems, earth, stems, and a touch medicinal. Palate is tight as well - with the cherry showing along with acid. A little austere and bitter for my taste. Has nice clarity and the mouthfeel is OK - not quite enough stuffing to handle the acidity. The sour cherry shows in the finish with a bit of mineral and substantial acid. Pretty good for a Finger Lakes Pinot. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 4/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 0/2 = 12/20 = 85/100.
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8/11/2011 - soyhead wrote: 90 Points
Nose- cherry, cola, forest floor
Mouth - cola, cherry, root beer, an sweet tinged herbally flavor. Overall quite light, elegant, and without a doubt true to varietal form.
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7/5/2011 - amateurwino wrote: 90 Points
My first tasting of this wine in June caught me by surprise - not expecting much from a Finger Lakes pinot, I found the wine to possess a lot of delicacy and lightness that I value in pinot noir but hardly ever find in domestic versions anymore.
A second tasting in July was a bit less impressive, with the fruit having a bit more of a candied but pedestrian character. But definitely a promising pinot that makes me see the possiblities for this variety in the Finger Lakes. 89-91+
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5/4/2011 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 94 Points
In its own way this is even more impressive than the rieslings. Whether because the vineyards aren’t yet old enough or the wine itself isn’t yet old enough, it doesn’t show the depths and complexities of flavor that pinot noir from the most gifted sites can show. But what it does pull off is, in a way, an even more remarkable achievement. It is absolutely perfectly composed pinot noir, seamless and slender and without a hair out of place (12.5% alcohol, for those who keep track). What’s so striking about it is how effortlessly it manages to achieve this sense of balance and proportion. Many New World pinot noirs—and I am talking about the wines I like, wines I would even call world-class or potential grand crus—achieve flavors of the highest sophistication but couldn’t possibly manage to render them in so perfect a form. If they were even to try it would be like trying to squeeze into a dress several sizes too small. Which is to say that Ravines has already achieved the absolute hardest thing for a pinot noir to achieve.
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4/16/2011 - jdrach wrote:
Summery. Sour light raspberry
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