2020 ‘Hedonism’ Cabernet Franc

92 PTS — Rick VanSickle “Wow, a big, bold, sassy nose of saturated cherries, almost kirsch-like, with thick black currants, anise, black raspberries, subtle herbs, leather, toasted vanilla spices and just a pinch of pepper. There is a wall of fine tannins to deal with on the palate, which will resolve with time in the cellar, but underneath there is a ripe and dense core of red berries, cassis, and black currants to go with toasted vanilla spice and a long, rather lifted, finish. Can cellar 7+ years and be richly rewarded. Destemmed fruit was fermented naturally for 3 weeks prior to pressing. Put to barrel — comprised of 30% new, 70% neutral and 70% French, 30% Hungarian — to age for 19 months. This wine was put to barrel and sat gracefully aging and picking up the nuances of the new French oak barrels. Minimal sulphur was added after 17 months in oak. 2020 was a great year in Ontario! The year started out slightly cool, but warmed up and stayed warm. July had a few very hot weather days, but other than that it was smooth sailing all the way to harvest. A year to celebrate in Ontario wine! Strong vanilla, clove and leather notes mixed with a touch of cardamom. Aggressive tannins at the time of bottling, reminiscent of oak barrels. These will soften and integrate over time. Flavours on the palate are dominated by oak influence, vanilla and spice. Best drinking is 2026-2033.