Canadian Wine Guy

Niagara cab francs are some of my fav wines. They have really gone through a fabulous evolution of the years. For a long time they were edgy tannic monsters you didn’t dare approach for 5-10 years. Over time the wineries have learned to tame the beast and come up with a wine just like this one. Kacaba have been doing some great things for a number of years now, and regular readers know I’m a fan and visit the winery often. The staff are amazing (and no, they don’t pay me to advertise for them :)). Dark in with a nice varietal dark cherry nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some lovely rich dark cherry fruit along with some nice chocolate and mocha. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice vibrant acidity and some fine but firm tannins. There is some noticeable oak on the wine. Alcohol is well under control. This is a perfect example of a well done, elegant styled cab franc … yumm. I would give it an 89. Pair it with something like steak/lamb. Looks like the winery is onto the 2014 vintage of the wine. I paid $24.94 at the winery.

When people think of ageable wines most think of red wines. I submit this one for your consideration. It’s not my first oak aged chard I have aged and been very happy with the result. Slightly golden in color with a lovely varietal chard nose. The fruit is still coming through on the nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some rich bold apple and pear. On the medium length finish the wine is showing huge oak, and vanilla. This wine has aged extremely well. I would give it an 89+. But if you don’t like oak aged chards skip this one because the oak is really prevalent even now. It’s not to the point of over baked but it is heavily crafted. I bought this one at the winery a long time ago and paid $40 for it. Yumm. We paired it with a pan seared cod and scallops and it went very well.

From the winery’s web site:
Release Date: Sept 2009
Appellation: 100% Prince Edward County
Harvest: Hand harvested September 30, 2007 2.1 ton/acre Barrel fermented with indigenous yeast
In barrel, March 2008 19 months 26% New French Oak, 13.7% alcohol. 3204 Bottles made.

Tasting Notes:
www.clossonchase.com 629 Closson Road, Hillier, Ontario, K0K 2J0 info@clossonchase.com
Closson Chase Vineyards Inc. T) 613.399.1418 F) 613.399.1618 Wine Maker: Deborah Paskus
September, 2009 Very rich and opulent on the nose: sweet and rich and round. More Californian than anything else really with
just a hint of popcorn. Big and bold, but not fat. Drink 2009-2012 ~ Jancis Robinson, Seriously Cool Chardonnays Taste
Event,London, England, May 2010 This Chardonnay was selected from our older section of the vineyard, and represents the best of the Chardonnay harvest. The nose is rich and warm with great balance of aromas contributed by the fruit, the barrel and the
19 months of aging, in barrel. Peach juice, orange peel, home made apple sauce, butter, toast crumbs, cedar, taffy. The structure is the true feature of this wine, a result of the vines feet being in a home of gravel and fractured limestone. Should age well.
~ Deborah Paskus, Viticulturalist

Inky dark in color with nice dark berry nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some nice rich dark berries along with some nice chocolate and mocha. On the long finish the displays some firm tannins and some nice complexity. The wine lives on in the mouth. Be sure and pair this with something big, we paired it with filet mignon and it was delicious. I would give it an 89+, sadly only available at the winery, how aweful to have to visit the winery 🙂 $44.95 Yumm …

Slightly golden in color with a mild nose of pear and apple. On the mid palate the wine matches the nose with some nice pear and apple. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice vanilla and butterscotch. This is a more gently oaked chard but quite nice. I would give it an 88 or so. For a seven year old chard it’s holding it’s own nicely. We paid $18.95 at the winery.

From the winery’s web site:
Product Description

The nose is rich and inviting with notes of honey comb, citrus and crème brulée. The palate is rich and powerful with the same flavours perfectly balanced with mouthwatering acidity and minerality. Aged in French and American oak for 12 months.

Ok, quizzie time … what’s the difference between a red wine and a white wine (or Rose for that matter)? In the case of the Pinot Gris, and many others, the outside of the grape is red and the inside is white. So the difference is how long the crushed juice is left in contact with the skins of the grape. Skins provide color as well as depth and complexity. This wine was left in contact with the skins for 3 hours and the resulting wine is more like a rose in color. Crisp and dry on the nose. On the mid palate the wine has a nice refreshing crispness to match the nose. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice lively acidity. This is a very food friendly wine. Perfect for the summer. We paired it with a BBQ sausage and it went well. I would give it an 88 or so. $17.95 at the winery.

From the Winery’s web site:
JENNIFERS PINOT GRIS 2014
Details
All fruit for this colourful wine was hand harvested at optimum ripeness. Then the fruit wine was permitted to cold soak for twelve hours to achieve its bronze / coper hue before undergoing a gently hole berry pressing. The juice was then slowly cool-fermented for approximately two plus weeks to retain fruit intensity and enhance complexity. To ensure this wine retain its acidity and crispness, malolactic fermentation was not performed.

Food Pairing
Delicious on its own or match with chicken, pork, spicy Asian food or succulent seafood dishes such as prawns and other shellfish.
Tasting Notes
A colourful wine of delicate copper pink hue. An elegant floral noise leads to a palate of soft flavours highlighting ripe juicy red fruits and pink grapefruit. A well-balanced fruit forward wine with refreshing acidity.

Pale in color with a nice crisp/dry nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some nice crisp citrus notes to match the nose. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice food friendly acidity and a hint of green notes. This is a softer, well made Sauv Blanc. We paired it with pan seared Ahi Tuna and it went beautifully. I would give it an 88 or so. $19.95 at the winery.

Inky dark in color with a nice nose of dark fruits. On the mid palate the wine displays some nice dark fruit to match the nose. On the long finish this is another big wine from this new winery. There’s lots of firm tannins, some nice acidity, dryness and complexity. The dark fruits live on long in the mouth. I would give it an 89 or so. Another very nice wine from these folks. $39 a bottle at the winery. I can only imagine this is a very ageable wine. The winery’s web site says Now through 2015? I tasted it in 2016 and it’s still a big wine with lots of potential. I can’t wait to see future releases from this winery!

About the Wine
Named for a very special place in our vineyard, our Eleventh Post blend is a tribute to a moment in time. We had always known that this place was special and one perfect day while walking in our fields we were compelled to leave our personal mark on the Eleventh Post.

To my sister and I, it seemed appropriate to give our Eleventh Post blend a name that symbolized the beginning of our family history in Niagara.
– Angela Marotta, Proprietor

Tasting Notes
Made from premium fruit cropped for low yields, Eleventh Post is a blend of 52% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Merlot. This is a wine with exquisite elegance and balance.

The individual varietals for this wine were harvested at optimal ripeness and barrel-aged separately in a combination of French and American oak before assemblage.

The result is a wine with lovely aromas of cocoa, vanilla bean and toast oak. Flavours of cassis, black cherries, blueberries arrive early on the palate and are followed by hints of strawberries. Toasty oak, sweet chai spice and cardamom linger on the finish; silky tannins round out the mouthfeel.

Best Enjoyed
Now through 2015 or longer.