Essex Wine Review

Winemaker’s Notes:
With it’s beautiful garnet colour, the 2008 Cabernet Franc opens with the juicy flavours of red berries and sweet cherries. Berry flavours linger in the finish.

Food Pairings:
Best served with slow roasted back ribs, grilled veal and lamb chops.

VQA Lake Erie North Shore
Estate Bottled

12.8% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $14

Rate and review Aleksander Estate Cabernet Franc 2008

Winemaker’s Notes:
Aroma: bell pepper, black berry and black currants.
Palate: moderate tannins and acidity, notes of spice with a long finish.
Burgundy red in colour with colour to the rim.

VQA Lake Erie North Shore
13% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $16.95

Rate and review Viewpointe Cabernet Franc 2005

Winemaker’s Notes:
Aged in French oak, a very pleasant dry red. Great with barbequed foods.

(The follow notes are from the label, however it appears to be the 2005 Cab Franc Label with dates on lable changed to 2007)
An intense dry red and aged in oak barrels for eighteen months. This wine has good tannin structure and will develop in the cellar for three to five years.

Vintner: Sal D’Angelo

12.0% alc./vol. ??
VQA Lake Erie North Shore.

Price: 750 mL $11.99

Rate and review D’Angelo Cabernet Franc 2007

Colchester Ridge Estate Winery (CREW)

Winemaker’s Notes:
A traditional Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot gives this wine beautiful balance. Ripe raspberry and cherry flavours on the nose showcase the exceptional growing conditions of the 2007 season. The buttery finish is promising with hints of vanilla which will evolve with aging.

VQA Lake Erie North Shore
13.4 alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL - $19.80

Rate and review CREW Mertiage 2007

Winemaker’s Notes:
We’re thrilled to have our newest, and very popular new Summer Sun Cabernet now available. Summer Sun is a chilled red wine made of 100% Cabernet Franc, made with only minimal skin contact. The result is a delicate salmon coloured wine with a vibrant citrus nose with pronounced lime, fresh grapefruit with a dusting of sugar on the palate. It is matched with grilled vegetables, cold cuts, cheese, sole, oyster, snapper, salmon, quiche, burgers, ribs and hot spicy foods.

LCBO Staff Pick, Wine of the Month, and just perfect for a hot summer’s day.

VQA Lake Erie North Shore
12% alc./vol

Price: 750 mL $12.65

Rate and review Erie Shore Summer Sun 2008.

2002 BALANCE POINTE- Cabernet Merlot - Viewpointe Reserve Wine

Winemaker’s Notes:
A nose of intense chocolate and tobacco with flavours of plum, ripe cherry, spice, vanilla and cedar. Full bodied and bold with a velvet finish.

Aroma: Deep cherry, cassis, leather, smoky oak, chocolate and an earthy character
Palate: Dry with good acidity, mid weight plus. Big palate follows the nose, adding rich almost fat mouth feel, ripe tannins and raspberry on the mid palate.

Food Pairing:
Beef, Gorgonzola Cheese and dark chocolate.

VQA Lake Erie North Shore

13.6% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $29.95

Rate and review Viewpointe Cabernet Merlot 2002

Winemaker’s Notes:
Bold, dry Cabernet Franc / Merlot blend. Medium bodied ripe red and blue fruits, oak aged.

VQA Lake Erie North Shore
12.8% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $14

Rate and review Smith & Wilson Double Barrel 2007

Winemaker’s Notes:
Dry, Merlot / Cab Franc blend. Light, spicy red with cherry notes

VQA Lake Erie North Shore
12.7% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $14

Rate and review Smith & Wilson Raleigh Vines 2007.

Winemaker’s Notes:
Not currently available.

Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot

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.