Winemaker’s Notes: We sourced the grapes from our vineyard in Beamsville. They were kept fresh (no drying), and we put them in tank and left the whole bunches under CO2 for 20 days before destemming and putting the must back on skins for another 2 weeks to extend extraction. The free-run (no press) must was then transferred to 2000L concrete to finish fermentation and malolactic conversion. The wine matured in concrete for 20 months before bottling, unfiltered.

Sommelier’s Notes: Close your eyes and think of the Loire valley, where they make classic examples of the Cabernet Franc, because that’s exactly what this is. The nose is strawberries, blueberries, and pencil shavings (trust me). If I were to get this on a blind-tasting exam, I would lose money on betting it is Chinon. The palate is dry, and the coarseness of the tannins will smoothen out over time. Age, decant, or have with red meat to take some of the texture off.