Essex Wine Review

LCBO# 136028

Tasting Note
Pale straw colour; peach and pear fruit on the nose; dry, refreshing palate with a lingering finish.

Serving Suggestion
Serve with salads, soft cheese, seafood or poultry

VQA Ontario
12.5% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $10.95

Rate and review Pelee Island Riesling Dry Tribute 2010

LCBO# 433714

Tasting Note:
This supple yet lively red wine boasts an intriguing mix of currant and blueberry with hints of cedar. These flavours are enhanced by tannins that remain throughout the finish.

These are picked early in the day in mid-October when they have reached 20.2 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 flavours 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 flavours 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.

GRAPE: 85% Cabernet Franc, 15% Gamay Noir
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 3.7 g/L
SUGAR CODE: (0)

VQA Ontario
13% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $11.45

Rate and review Pelee Island Cabernet Franc 2010

A rustic wine with character. Some would also call it a bistro, elbows on the table wine.
LCBO# 145441

Tasting Note:
You will find very ripe, plumy-sweet flavours and richness in this wine.

GRAPES: 86% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon

Serving Suggestion:
Great with stews, red meat or tomato-based dishes.

VQA Ontario
13% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $11.95

Rate and review Pelee Island Lighthouse Cabernet Franc 2010

Wine Maker’s Tasting Note:
Medium ruby red in colour; aromas of red and black cherry, subtle oak and ripe plum; medium-bodied, dry, with flavours of black cherry, currant, plum and light oak.

Serving Suggestion:
Roast beef with roasted root vegetables, moussaka.

VQA Ontario
13.2% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $12.95

Rate and review Pelee Island lighthouse Merlot 2010

Winemaker’s Notes:
A true blend of Chardonnay and Auxerrois. A wine of lingering fruit with a pronounced floral bouquet and clean crisp finish. Serve at 16 degrees C.

Eco Trail is a blend of Auxerrois harvested when it reached 19.4 brix, and Chardonnay harvested when it reached an average of 19 brix.
Serve at 16 degrees Celsius with poultry or seafood. This is another excellent sipping wine great for sharing with friends and family out on the patio or over a great meal.

VQA Ontario

GRAPES: 85% Auxerois , 15% Chardonnay
BRIX: 19.4
ALCOHOL: 12.5%
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 10 g/L
SUGAR CODE: (1)

Price: 750 mL $10.45

Rate and review Pelee Island Eco Trail White 2009.

Winemaker’s Notes:
Wine for people who enjoy a robust, rustic wine. The feeling of a cottage in the woods and a campfire.

The grapes were harvested in September when they had reached 19.6 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 backyard barbecues.

GRAPE: 100% Baco Noir
ALCOHOL: 13%
SUGAR CODE: (0)

VQA Ontario

Price: 750 mL $10.95

Rate and review Pelee Island Baco Noir 2009.

Winemaker’s Notes:
You will find very ripe, plummy-sweet flavours and richness in this wine. There is also a rustic character. The French would call it a bistro, elbows on the table wine.

These are picked early in the day in mid-October when they have reached 20.2 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 flavours 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 flavours 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.

GRAPE: 85% Cabernet Franc, 15% Gamay Noir
ALCOHOL: 13%
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 3.7 g/L
SUGAR CODE: (0)

VQA Ontario

Price: 750 mL $11.45

Rate and review Pelee Island Cabernet Franc 2009

Winemaker’s Notes:
This wine combines the characteristics of dried berry fruit and light cherry notes with fine tannins and vanilla aromas.

The Chambourcin grapes used for this wine were left on the vine until they had reached 20.8 brix, and the Cabernet Franc grapes were harvested at 21.2 brix.

A great wine to be enjoyed with friends around the dinner table.

GRAPES: 40% Baco Noir, 40% Chambourcin, 20% Cabernet Franc
ALCOHOL: 13.5%
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 4.1 g/L
SUGAR CODE: (0)

VQA Ontario

Price: 750 mL $10.45

Rate and review Pelee Island Eco Trail Red 2009

Winemaker’s Notes:
Our Lighthouse Riesling has a fragrant orchard fresh aroma with a delicate peach bouquet. With a sugar code of (2) it is a refreshing sweeter white wine.

The balance of acidity and residual sugar give this Riesling a good balance with a long aging potential. With a fragrant orchard fresh aroma and a delicate peach bouquet this is a refreshing white wine.

Our “classic” Riesling makes a perfect complement for appetizers, seafood, cheeses and white meats or enjoy it just on its own.

GRAPES: 86% Riesling, 14% Gewurztraminer

VQA Ontario
ALCOHOL: 12.5%

LCBO # 145417
Price: 750 mL $11.95

Rate and review Pelee Island Lighthouse Riesling 2009.

Winemaker’s Notes:
Alvars comprise a small percentage of the Earth’s ecosystems by land extent; although some 120 exist in the Great Lakes region, they comprise only 0.2% of the land area there. They provide a natural habitat for many rare birds, butterflies, plants and trees. The hop tree is one of them. A rare tree found in such Alvars along the shores of Lake Erie.

Pinot Noir’s flavours are reminiscent of sweet red berries, plums, tomatoes and cherries.

It is well-suited to pair with poultry, beef, fish, ham, lamb and pork. This wine should play well with creamy sauces, spicy seasonings and may just be one of the world’s most versatile food wines.

VQA Ontario
ALCOHOL: 13%

Price: 750 mL $14.95

Rate and review Pelee Island Alvar Pinot Noir 2009.