2017 Ravines Wine Cellars Maximilien ($24.95)

Ravines Wine Cellars is an artisanal winery in the flourishing, world-class wine region of the Finger Lakes, located in upstate New York. It is the passion of Morten & Lisa Hallgren, a European Winemaker/Oenologist and his Chef wife. Together, they have created a small, distinctive winery, crafting elegant and expressive wines using Old World winemaking practices.

Maximilien is an old Roman mane used throughout the centuries for saints, emperors, revolutionaries and philosophers. Ravines Wine Cellars considers Maximilien “a honest name for this blend of two noble and historic varieties.”

This Ravines Wine Cellars Maximilien is a blend of 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Knowing this is a Merlot/Cab blend, I was most surprised to see that this wine is light in color - a pale to medium ruby, almost like a Pinot Noir or a GSM blend. On the nose it has cherry and plum with a bit of a sweet note. On the palate this wine is medium bodied, medium tannin with flavors of tart cherry, cranberry and raspberry, moderate acidity and a refreshingly long finish. This wine definitely expresses its Finger Lakes terroir.

If you are not familiar with wines from the Finger Lakes region I’d definitely recommend that you check out Ravines Wine Cellars Maximilien as well as their Dry Riesling and White Springs Dry Riesling. The are all very affordable and worthy of being Behind the Cork™ wines of the week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Ravines Wine Cellars