Production: 80 Cases
Availability: Winery direct and select restaurant accounts
Vintage: 2017
Variety or Blend: 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Franc, 19.6% Malbec, 2.4% Petit Verdot
Vineyard Designation: Grower’s series
Region: Niagara Escarpment
Vine Age: 7 years
Soil: Clay, soil and loam with limestone. Quite variable in sections.
Wine Style: Dry
Oak: 100% French Oak, 47% New Oak, aged for 16 months
Alcohol Content: 13.3%
PH: 3.5
TA: 6.3 g/L
RS: < 3 g/L
Ageing: Drink now through 2026
Serving Temperature: 14 – 18 degrees Celsius
Winemaking:
The 2017 Meritage was harvested with excellent flavour in each specific variety and when the fruit was hanging clean on the vines. We start by de-stemming all of the fruit and about 50% of the fruit is crushed, while the other 50% remains whole berry during a 5-7 day cold soak. After cold soaking, we warm up the fruit for alcoholic fermentation. Once alcoholic fermentation is complete and the tannin structure is right, we gently press each batch of wine off of the skins and pump it to a settling tank. After settling, each batch of wine is put into specially selected barrels for malolactic fermentation and aging. The wine is sulphured
in barrel to preserve the character and fruit and continues to age with careful monitoring for 16 months. Through tasting and blending trials, each variety or batch of wine is then taken out of barrels, and blended into tank to integrate for the final wine. This Meritage is made from special selected barrels who quality and balance was integrated, elegant and best for blending to create this small batch wine. A light filtration is carried out before bottling.
Appearance:
Opaque garnet with a fuchsia hue.
Aromas:
A seductive nose of sweet black fruits lift out of the glass. Blackberry, cassis, raspberry jam, new leather and baking spice follow. currants, leather and baking spice follow. Underlying hints of espresso, vanilla and subtle floral notes tantalize your nose.
Palate:
Fruit flavours mirror that of the nose with blackberries and cassis at the forefront of the palate. black cherries, leather and dates are on the forefront of the palate. A concentrated and ripe, medium-bodied blend with a textured mid-palate of vanilla, rated and ripe, medium-bodied blend with a textured mid-palate of toasted hazelnuts, cedar, cocoa and graphite. The smooth, layered tannins and fresh balanced acidity provide structure and focus all the way to the med-long finish. Lingering flavours of black raspberries, licorice, new leather and espresso remain on the
finish. Secondary complexities persist in the background of this wine and will continue to develop and integrate over time it is a wine to drink with red meats or game meats and to age in your cellar.