13th Street Winery only ships products within Canada.
Expression Cabernet Merlot, 2020
Shipped and sold by 13th Street Winery
- Cabernet Franc
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Merlot
TASTING NOTES
Bright garnet in the glass with intense aromas of cassis, damson plums and dark chocolate. The palate is dry but fruity, with ripe tannins, refreshing acidity and complex flavours of blackberries, vanilla and subtle spice. The finish is savoury and flavourful with light grip from the tannins and lingering vanilla. Enjoy with grilled red meats, rich meaty pasta sauces or hard cheeses.
WINEMAKING NOTES
Our Expression Cabernet Merlot is a blend of our two estate vineyards in Creek Shores, created to showcase both a perfect Expression of Niagara Cabernet Merlot and also of our winemaker’s style! The grapes were harvested by variety between mid-to-late October (starting with the Merlot and then the Cabernet Franc) and mid-November (for the Cabernet Sauvignon) and were then crushed and transferred to stainless steel for primary fermentation over approximately 30 days. The wines were then pressed and transferred to a selection of 228, 400, 500 and 600 liter oak barrels of various ages for six months. Following this the final blend was assembled and the wine lightly fined and filtered prior to bottling in September 2021.
Critic's Rating
Here's a pleasantly ripe but still properly leafy and spicy cabernet-merlot blend (franc and sauvignon), the way Bordeaux used to be (and occasionally still is), with balanced-fresh acids, succulent and saliva-inducing. Tannins are fine but appealingly gritty, containing the lively fruit, while length and depth are very good, as is comp-lexity. A classic, 'gastronomic' wine, best at the table with some salty protein - I really like what's going on here, especially the pleasure-for-money. Drink or hold to 2026. Tasted August 2022.
National Wine Awards of Canada 2022, Silver Medal
Decanter World Wine Awards 2022, Bronze Medal
