“The 2017 Cabernet Franc was aged for nine months in new and large oak casks (half French, half Austrian-Slavonian). It comes in at 12.9% alcohol. This is the first vintage of the Cab Franc made in the large oak casks—meant to reduce the oak impact. It's beautiful, fresh, structured and classic. There are olive nuances around the edges, black fruits and plenty of power. The structure is superb. It handles the wood beautifully—the new regimen seems like a big success. It could use another year or two of cellaring, although it is approachable now, and it will age well. This is another super value from Ravines. There were about 1,800 cases made. It's terrific, reasonably priced, available and able to age. What's not to like? One of the stars in the region, Ravines makes everything well, including the reds. This was a stunning group, perhaps led by the amazing sparkler at a great price.” -Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, 90 points; Mark Squires, 6/28/19