Stephanie and I opened up a bottle of Viewpointe 2002 Focal Pointe Cabernet Franc the other night with dinner. I like what John is doing with his wines, and there is a definite consistency with his reds. The Focal Pointe has a deep dark color with a tempting smokey cedar nose. The luscious deep black fruit caresses the palate with balanced tannins and hints of chocolate. The wine is maturing nicely and I would suggest drinking it over the next 5 years with a big juicy steak.
Another older wine Stephanie and I enjoyed was the 2002 Pelee Island Reserve Zweigelt. Typical of many local wines there is abundant earthiness when it is first opened. Subtle honey aromas with mushroom and barnyard fill the glass and hints of cranberry and tobacco develop as the wines open. The tannins are round and beautiful with a lingering finish. This wine definitely reminds me of an Italian Amarone with its earthy flavors. Enjoy this with food that features mushrooms and or truffles.
Showing posts with label Cabernet Franc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cabernet Franc. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Colio
Colio:
Today Stephanie and I were down at Colio meeting with head winemaker Tim Reilly. Tim has been with Colio since 2002 and took the reigns from original winemaker Carlos Negri when he retired last year. Tim took the winemaking course at Niagara College and learned from Jim Warren and others in Niagara. Tim began to change the style of Colio’s white wines beginning with the 2003 vintage changing the style of Colio’s Pinot Grigio to what it is today, and award winning full bodied style. In his second vintage, his new style Pinot Grigio won a gold medal at the All Canadian Wine Championship. The 2007 Pinot Grigio has ripe pears with brown sugar notes and a clean long finish. Tim is taking Colio’s white wines to a new level as he launched a Reserve Riesling. It is dry with lots of forward fruit without being too acidic. There are lots of mineral notes and a hint of petrol that I am sure will come through more as it ages. This Riesling does drink well young, but will only improve with age.
Tim also led us through a tasting of the 2005 CEV Reserve Red wines. This is the first vintage that Tim has had complete control of the reds. Starting with the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Stephanie and I were both impressed. The nose on the Cab took me back to the tour of Napa Valley Steph and I took two years ago—lots of mint and eucalyptus. Unlike California Cabernets Colio’s is a finesse wine. There are nuances of cassis, red fruit and barnyard (aka Brett). The Reserve Cabernet Franc shows great potential as well as the structure is solid and cherry flavors are beginning to develop. The Reserve Merlot tastes the youngest of the three wines. Similar to the Cabernet Sauvignon, the Merlot showed mint and cedar notes but the tannins need to soften with some time in the bottle.
Tim took a tank sample of the 05 Reserve Meritage. It was starting to drink well despite not being bottled yet. Both Tim and I agree that the best example of what Lake Erie North Shore can produce is in our blended wines. The Meritage shows lots of potential with balanced tannins, ripe fruit and balanced acidity. To finish off the reds Tim had a sample of his 6 barrel Shiraz that should hit the shelves by the fall. It has lots of pepper and spice on the nose and the flavors remind me of Dr. Pepper—sweet cherry cola flavors.
On thing that I surprised me is Colio’s new pricing strategy. Their goal is to keep all their Reserve wines under $20 (except for their Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon which is priced at $21.95 because Cabernet Sauvignon is more expensive to grow). The wines are a phenomenal value considering Reserve wine in Niagara routinely hit $30 and up.
Today Stephanie and I were down at Colio meeting with head winemaker Tim Reilly. Tim has been with Colio since 2002 and took the reigns from original winemaker Carlos Negri when he retired last year. Tim took the winemaking course at Niagara College and learned from Jim Warren and others in Niagara. Tim began to change the style of Colio’s white wines beginning with the 2003 vintage changing the style of Colio’s Pinot Grigio to what it is today, and award winning full bodied style. In his second vintage, his new style Pinot Grigio won a gold medal at the All Canadian Wine Championship. The 2007 Pinot Grigio has ripe pears with brown sugar notes and a clean long finish. Tim is taking Colio’s white wines to a new level as he launched a Reserve Riesling. It is dry with lots of forward fruit without being too acidic. There are lots of mineral notes and a hint of petrol that I am sure will come through more as it ages. This Riesling does drink well young, but will only improve with age.
Tim also led us through a tasting of the 2005 CEV Reserve Red wines. This is the first vintage that Tim has had complete control of the reds. Starting with the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Stephanie and I were both impressed. The nose on the Cab took me back to the tour of Napa Valley Steph and I took two years ago—lots of mint and eucalyptus. Unlike California Cabernets Colio’s is a finesse wine. There are nuances of cassis, red fruit and barnyard (aka Brett). The Reserve Cabernet Franc shows great potential as well as the structure is solid and cherry flavors are beginning to develop. The Reserve Merlot tastes the youngest of the three wines. Similar to the Cabernet Sauvignon, the Merlot showed mint and cedar notes but the tannins need to soften with some time in the bottle.
Tim took a tank sample of the 05 Reserve Meritage. It was starting to drink well despite not being bottled yet. Both Tim and I agree that the best example of what Lake Erie North Shore can produce is in our blended wines. The Meritage shows lots of potential with balanced tannins, ripe fruit and balanced acidity. To finish off the reds Tim had a sample of his 6 barrel Shiraz that should hit the shelves by the fall. It has lots of pepper and spice on the nose and the flavors remind me of Dr. Pepper—sweet cherry cola flavors.
On thing that I surprised me is Colio’s new pricing strategy. Their goal is to keep all their Reserve wines under $20 (except for their Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon which is priced at $21.95 because Cabernet Sauvignon is more expensive to grow). The wines are a phenomenal value considering Reserve wine in Niagara routinely hit $30 and up.
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