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2020 Cabernet Franc - Grimsby Hillside Vineyard

2020 Cabernet Franc - Grimsby Hillside Vineyard

red
$56.20
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  • Tasting Notes

  • Winemakers Notes 

  • Technical Details

Reviews:93 PTS Rick Vansickle Wines In Niagara

Tasting Notes:The 2020 vintage started warm and sunny, and stayed that way well into harvest, allowing us to hang the grapes late into the season, giving plenty of time to fully ripen.  On the nose blackcurrant, mulberry, raspberry and blackberry immediately appear, followed quickly by tobacco-leaf, sweet basil, cured meat, cigar-box, cocoa and cumin. The palate shows lovely balance but is a bit more brooding, with blueberry appearing along with cassis and blackberry playing off leather, tobacco, smoked-sausage and a mossy/brambly character the underpins the whole wine. This is certainly the fullest and richest Cabernet Franc we have produced, however great older vines and awesome terroir have given this wine an intense gravelly/stony character, with exquisite finesse and balance that matches the very present tannins giving it immense structure and agebility.  We continue to raise the bar for Cabernet Franc in Niagara, and this is another great example that can easily age 8-10 years. To drink now, decant well in advance and the wine will really unfold for you!

This is our first vintage of Cabernet Franc from 25 year-old vines in Grimsby Hillside Vineyard (Lincoln Lakeshore VQA). The grapes were hand-picked and hand-sorted on November 5th, destemmed and left to cold soak on skins prior to fermentation. The fermentation started spontaneously in concrete fermenters with the skins being punched-down by hand 2 times per day. Once fermentation was finished, the wine remained on skins for 6 days before being gently pressed. It was then transferred to French and American oak barrels (30% new) and aged for 21 months. The 2020 Cabernet Franc was bottled in September 2022.

Vintage: 2020

Vineyard: Grimsby Hillside Vineyard

Varietal: Cabernet Franc

Appellation: Niagara Penninsula

Sub-Appellation: Lincoln Lakeshore

Total Production: 190 Cases

Average Brix at Harvest: 24.2

Acidity: 6.4 g/L

pH: 3.64

Alcohol: 14.2%

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  • 2019

Niagara continues to raise the bar with the Cabernet Franc it produces – this vintage is a great example of just that!

Nose: Raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, and black currant immediately appear on the nose, followed quickly by tomato leaf, roasted red pepper, cured meat, cigar box, cocoa, and cumin.

Palate: The palate shows lovely balance but is a bit more brooding – blueberry appears, along with cassis and blackberry playing off leather, tobacco, and smoked sausage with a mossy/brambly character underpinning.

Finish: Elegance and exquisite finesse meet richness with ever-present tannins lending immense structure and age-ability. Decant in advance to enjoy now, this wine can easily age for a decade.

Pairing: Try with hard cheese like well-aged Cheddar or Pecorino Romano, or with roasted red meats.

Reviews: 91 pts Decanter

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