The highlight of the week was a visit to Ravine Vineyard on Saturday with Deborah, my son Guy, his wife Sasha, their baby daughter Isla and two of their friends. Winemaker Marty Werner toured us around the winery and led us through a tasting:

• Ravine Vineyard Gewurztraminer 2017: almost water white; spicy, aromatic nose, good varietal character; light to medium-bodied, spicy, orange and lychee flavours with a grapefruit note; just off-dry. (89)
• Ravine Vineyard Small Batch Riesling 2017: very pale in colour; minerally, honey and lime bouquet; light-bodied, very dry and crisp with lime and grapefruit flavours and a floral note. (89)
• Ravine Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2016: pale straw colour; Bordeaux style, oak aged – grassy, lanolin nose; medium-bodied, crisply dry, green plum flavour. (89)
• Ravine Vineyard Sand & Gravel Sauvignon Blanc 2016 (stainless steel): crisply dry, green plum flavour. (88)
• Ravine Vineyard Chardonnay 2015: light straw in colour; spicy, oaky, buttery, apple nose; medium-bodied, dry, lightly reductive, creamy, apple flavour with toasty oak notes. (91)
• Ravine Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2016: deep ruby colour; well-extracted plum flavour, firmly structured. (89)
• Ravine Vineyard Lona’s Block Cabernet Franc 2015: deep ruby colour; plum and green pepper bouquet with well-integrated oak, rich and full on the palate – very Bourgueuil in style. (90)
• Ravine Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2016: dense purple colour; cedary, blackcurrant and plum nose; medium-bodied, dry, red and blackcurrant flavours; firmly structured. (89)
• Ravine Vineyard Reserve Merlot 2015: dense purple-ruby colour; cedary, plum and cherry bouquet with pencil lead and vanilla oak notes; medium-bodied, richly extracted black fruit flavours. A well-balanced wine. (91)

(We all had lunch in Ravine’s restaurant with a bottle of Sand & Gravel Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot.)

Other wines tasted this week:

• Tom Gore Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 (California -–$19.95; Vintages #451336): Deep purple-ruby colour; cedary, spicy oak and black fruits on the nose; medium to full-bodied, dry, ripe black plum and blackcurrant flavours, savoury with dark chocolate notes, ripe tannins and well-integrated oak. Good value. (90)
• Joie Farm Pinot Blanc 2017 (St. Hubertus Vineyard, Kelowna, BC – $24.90): pale straw in colour; minerally, white peach nose; medium-bodied, dry, white peach and green pineapple flavours with racy, citrus acidity. (90)
• Joie Farm Rosé 2017 (Pinot Noir and Gamay – $20.78): cranberry colour; minerally strawberry nose; medium-bodied, dry, strawberry flavour with a cranberry tartness on the finish. Perfect summer wine! (89)

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