Winemaker Morten Hallgren is known for making not just dry Rieslings.
He makes them very dry.
This poses a certain risk.
For one, even if people tend to say that they like dry wines, they often appreciate some residual sugar, even if the amount of sugar does not seem to make the wine taste sweet.
It just tastes a bit rounder, perhaps.
If a winemaker decides to ferment out all sugar in the wine a potential balancing agent is also lost. Therefore great care must be taken to create a perfectly balanced dry Riesling and the grapes themselves must have been ripe and healthy.
Every year Morten Hallgren is up for the challenge.
Ravines' 2011 Dry Riesling has a pale lemon color. It has a pleasant aroma of grapefruit and minerals. But there is also a nice earthy element in it, similar to the spicy smell of a forest after it had just rained. The wine is dry on the palate, of course, and has high acidity. The alcohol is medium high and balanced. Medium intensity of pure citrus fruit flavors with hints of herbs and minerals. The Riesling has a medium length with a spicy finish.
The 2011 Dry Riesling is perfectly balanced wine with a fine structure and nice earthy character.