Essex Wine Review

NOTES FROM THE WINEMASTER:

These are picked early in the day in mid-October when they have reached 20.2 degrees brix, and arrive at the winery within hours of picking. The grapes are destemmed, crushed, and fed into a rotor fermenting tank. Maturation temperature for this wine is controlled at 26 degrees Celsius. The key to the intense flavors and spicy aromas are the mature grapes and modern technology. This modern piece of technology allows for strict temperature control during fermentation; its gentle agitation of the wine extracts more colour and tannin from the skins; and the partial pressure this vessel is under during the time of fermentation allows higher concentration of fruit flavors to remain in the wine. Finally, this wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in the barrel room, which stabilizes its red colour and enhances its firm tannic finish.

This Cabernet Franc is best served with pasta or red sauce, barbecued foods, roast beef or lamb.

GRAPES: 100% Cabernet Franc
BRIX: 20.2 degrees
ALCOHOL: 13.5%
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 5.3 g/L
AVAILABLE IN: 750 ml
Sugar Code: (0)

$10.75 (available at LCBO)

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NOTES FROM THE WINEMASTER:

This wine is best served at room temperature with grilled or roasted red meat and game, ham, roast pork or grilled Atlantic salmon.

PINOT NOIR: This Burgundy grape is one of the oldest varieties cultivated by man. On Pelee Island it thrives in a micro climate that enjoys the longest growing season with the greatest amount of heat units in Canada.

GRAPES: 100% Pinot Noir
ALCOHOL: 12.5%
ACID: 5.7 g/L
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 3.8 g/L
BRIX: 19.4
AVAILABLE IN: 750 ml
Sugar Code: (0)

$12.25 (available at LCBO)

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NOTES FROM THE WINEMASTER:

The grapes were harvested in September when they had reached 20.4° brix. They were then fermented for eight days in a temperature controlled stainless steel tank.

Due to this wine’s full body, it is ideally suited with game meats, roast beef or steak. Some specific dishes that we would recommend with this wine would be pastas with tomato meat sauces, pizzas and back yard barbecues.

GRAPES: 100% Baco Noir
BRIX: 20.4° 20°
ALCOHOL: 13%
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 4.1 g/L
AVAILABLE IN: 750 ml
Sugar Code: (0)

Price: $9.75 (available at LCBO)

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Winemaker’s Notes:

Rich, intense fruit, full flavour, with deep current flavour and berry aroma of this classic 2005 Erie Shore Vintage. 2005 was a vintage year resulting in this Cabernet of reserve quality.  Held back and aged in our French Oak barrels for 20 months.

Matched with grilled or roast red meats, game birds, chicken, turkey, vegetables, pizza, tomato based pastas and firm cheeses.

Price per 750 mL bottle: $18.95

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Winemaker’s Notes:

Rich, full flavour, with deep current flavour and berry aroma.  A rustic, vintage year resulting in an exceptional Baco Noir of reserve quality. This will age wonderfully in a wine cellar.  Matched with grilled or roast red meats, lamb, dark poultry, pizza, tomato based pastas and cheeses.

Price per 750 ml bottle: $14.95

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Colchester Ridge Estate Winery (CREW)

The aromas extending upwards are woody and earthy, exhibiting shitake mushroom and a souicance of tarragon. The taste is satisfying with jamminess in berries and plum, cassis and a tincture of violet. With its good tannins, it promises a good shelf-life and more structure with age.

Price per 750 ml Bottle - $14.95

(Only 220 cases produced)

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Wine Maker Tim Reilly Notes:

A cool spring with relatively normal rainfall was followed by a hot, dry summer with an extended warm, dry autumn creating excellent ripening conditions for the Bordeaux varietals that demand just that. The award-winning wines that wear our CEV label are the ultimate expression of our winemaker’s art: limited quantity, ultrapremium, hand-crafted VQA wines.

Appellation: VQA Lake Erie North Shore
Blend: Cabernet Franc 100%
Brix at Harvest: 21.5
Fermentation: Stainless steel tanks (10-14 days on the skins)
Aging: 20 months in oak barrels
Residual Sugar: 2 g/l
Alcohol Content: 12.7%
Production: 1,100 Cases

Price: $21.75 / 750 ml bottle

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Winemaker’s Notes:
An exceptionally elegant full bodied wine that displays aromatic layers of licorice, fresh herbs and sweet tobacco. Velvety dark chocolate and blackberry on the palate. Match with grilled meats and well ripened cheeses.
Sugar Code: 0

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Winemaker’s Notes:
The Aromas are lightly herbaceous with a hint of plum and sweet wood. This wine is light to medium bodied with subtle flavours of black cherry. The well integrated tannins prolong the finish. Match with earthy grilled vegetables, prime rib, stews and duck.
Sugar Code: 0

Cabernet Franc is one of the most popular varieties of red wine grape in Essex County and Southwestern Ontario. Most of the Wineries in the Essex region have a Cabernet Franc wine on their list.

Matronardi’s Cabernet Franc 750 ml bottles are available from their winery store location for about $17. This is a bit more expensive than other local 2006 Cabernet Franc wines which is still very reasonable.

You can post your review of Mastronardi’s Cabernet Franc 2006 by clicking here.