Bright brilliant pinkish ruby with wide clear edges. Rather strong creme brulee lavender, black cherry and greenbrier including significant alcohol burn coming out of the nose. With a little air, a considerably more muddy and dank nuance arises which is welcome as the wine takes on a much more sweaty saline mineral character–with some rich vanilla mingled in.

Loyal readers know this to be one of my favorite varieties, and while I DO love a big beefy BDX CF, cooler-climate preferences generally prevail. Getting CF from Oregon and New York is like pulling teeth here in California, so I eagerly grabbed this one.

In the mouth, round and bland, feeling flabby and sweet with concocted background bitterness awkward to the theme. Green and astringent in the finish, after a shallow entry, the whole wine is disjointed and clumsy, starting off in several directions with determination and persona but never melding into a cohesive package.

2016 RAVINES WINE CELLARS Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes New York 13.0

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