Ravine (August 2016)

I haven’t had a chance to stop by Ravine in quite some time. I was glad that I made the stop during the day I was down in Niagara to visit Paul Bosc Sr. from Chateau des Charmes. I was glad I made the time there are some very tasty wines available at the winery.

2015 Sauvignon Blanc – $35.00 – **** – The nose is super tropical with aromas of passion fruit and guava with some spice on it. This wine is barrel fermented and there are hints of spice tossed in with all the tropical fruit. There is bright crisp acidity on the finish but the fruit does linger making for a long finish.

2015 Chardonnay – $35.00 – ****+ – Vanilla, apple, pineapple and baking spice climb out of the glass. There is an intensity on the nose that becomes elegant and restrained in the mouth. This is a nicely balanced Chardonnay with good acidity the leaves the finish clean. The baking spice works it’s way from start to finish and lingers long after the wine leaves your mouth.

2015 Gewurztraminer – $22.00 – **** – This is off-dry but nicely balanced. This is a textbook example of good Gewurztraminer in the province. The sad thing is that Gewurztraminer is going to be a rarity in the province as many wineries have taken apart their vineyards after being thrashed by the cold winters in 2013 and 2014. The nose is rose petal and nicely concentrated. The rose petal moves to candied lychee on the mid palate. The finish does linger with a bit of sweetness but this still has nice acidity. This is definitely made to pair with spicy dishes of any kind.

2015 Cabernet Franc – $35.00 – **** – The nose is black smoke, licorice, red fruit and a note of roasted red pepper. The fruit is bright and ripe on the palate there is cherry and strawberry. So, the nose is heavy but this is a medium bodied and elegant wine on the mid palate. The finish has a bit of a savory note that lingers. This will be perfect to enjoy over the winter with roasted red meats or stews. I would enjoy this while it’s young so the savory notes don’t take over. This is drinking great right now.