Essex Wine Review

Winemaker’s Notes:
Gewurztraminer, off dry intense flavors of white peach and nutmeg

VQA Lake Erie North Shore
Estate Bottled

12.5% alc./vol.
Price: 750 mL $13

Rate and review Smith & Wilson Cherieau 2008.

CEV Signature Series-Limited Edition Wines

Winemaker’s Notes:
Blackberry, chocolate and black pepper bouquet. Flavours of sweet red berries, chocolate and definative black pepper on the finish.

Blend: 100% Shariz
Serve at: 15º – 17º C
Winemaker: Tim Reilly
Alcohol Content: 12.5 %

VQA lake Erie North Shore

Price: 750 mL – $24.75

Rate and review Colio CEV Nine Barrel Shariz 2007.

Winemaker’s Notes:
Unoaked and fruit forward. A blend of medium bodied reds (Gamay and Merlot)

VQA Lake Erie North Shore
12.4% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $13

Rate and review Smith & Wilson Rondeau Red 2008

Winemaker’s Notes:
Bird Dog has developed kind a cult following in “The County” and this ’05 is a great example of why. This a serious, full-bodied wine with a prominent whack of oak – however, with extended cellar time at the winery it has become really nicely integrated and lost most of the youthful, astringent edge seen in its earlier tastings. It is still very firm though, packing a good tannic punch on the finish and would continue to age nicely in your cellar through 2015. At the time of this tasting (Nov. 2009) it showed deeply extracted ruby colours and was just beginning to take on some lovely, mature, garnet hues. The palate was also evolved, with all that sweet, elegant oak and notes of old leather in the forefront nicely integrated into the core of jammy raspberry fruit. This is a great fall/winter wine to serve with hearty braised meats or Sunday roasts.

Cabernet Sauvignon 40%, Cabernet Franc 35%, Merlot 25%

VQA Lake Erie North Shore
13.5% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $19.95

Rate and review Sanson Bird Dog Red 2005

Winemaker’s Notes:
The Cabernet Sauvignon is the world’s most renowned grape variety for producing fine, long-lived red wines. The combination of tannins, pigments and flavour compounds produce big wines that evolve over the years into wines with a distinct and subtle bouquet.

Our Cabernet Sauvignon is VQA Pelee Island, meaning that it is 100% Pelee Island and certainly does justice to the unique growing conditions on the Island.

Long, hot and dry summers have augmented this small berries’ characteristics, with hand-picked care and 15 months of oak aging in French and Hungarian oak barrels to produce a wine that will only improve over the next decade….and beyond.

These grapes were harvested in mid-October when they had reached 21 degrees brix. Following the harvest they spent 7 days in a rotor fermenter.

This wine has the ability to stand up to red meat in sauce or grilled game and even sausages. Its hearty staying power makes it a great winter warm-up!

GRAPES: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc
BRIX: 21°
ALCOHOL: 13%
ACID: 5.1 g/L
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 2.8 g/L

VQA Pelee Island
Price: 750 mL $24.95

AWARDS:
Intervin International Wine Awards 2009 – Silver
Canadian Wine Awards 2008 – Bronze
Challenge International Du Vin France 2008 – Bronze
Ontario Wine Awards 2008 – Silver

Rate and review Pelee Island Cabernet Sauvignon 2005.

Winemaker’s Notes:
Medium but sweet with a nice clean finish.

VQA Lake Erie North Shore
Estate Bottled

Bronze award winner!

11.2% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $13

Rate and review Smith & Wilson Riesling 2008.

CEV Signature Series-Limited Edition Wines

Winemaker’s Notes:
Aromas of cherry, dark chocolate and smoke with ripe cherry, plum and toasted vanilla flavours

Colour: Light ruby
Serve at: 15º – 17º C
Blend: Pinot Noir 100%
Brix at Harvest: 19.8
Fermentation: 10 to 14 days on the skins
Aging: 14 months in European oak
Residual Sugar: 2 g/L
Alcohol Content: 12.5 %
Production: 550 cases
Winemaker: Tim Reilly

Price: 750 mL – $19.75

AWARDS:
Silver Medal at the 2009 All-Canadian Wine Championships
Bronze medal winner at the 2009 Great Lakes Wine Competition

Rate and review Colio CEV Pinot Noir 2007.

Winemaker’s Notes:
Dry, fruit forward, totally unoaked, fresh citrus

VQA Lake Erie North Shore
Estate Bottled

C-K “Chatham-Kent”
A vintage for Chatham Kent.

12.2% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $11

Rate and review Smith & Wilson C-K Chardonnay 2008.