The “Riserva Famiglia” title is only given to wines produced in the best vintage years which have passed a rigorous tasting panel. Made in the traditional appassimento style, vine dried for 4 weeks past traditional harvest dates and then rack dried in a single layer for 26 days. Dried in an ambient environment with forced air circulation to allow the fruit to slowly dry. Small batch fermented and aged in new French oak for 2 years. The 2015 Trivalente is a Bordeaux inspired blend that checks all the right boxes for a top quality red wine. This blockbuster blend pours a beautiful ruby colour and is not shy to show off its pronounced nose laced with sweet oak characteristics. There’s an abundance of black cherry, black berry, preserved red plum, redcurrant and black pepper along with smoke, cigar box, vanilla, nutmeg and caramel from extensive ageing in French oak barriques. On the palate, flavours are similar to the nose but with a focus on dark chocolate, licorice and baking spice. Although this wine has a high alcohol content, it is wonderfully balanced and displays good acidity and silky tannins. Even with its young tannins, the wine is incredibly soft with a long finish that displays wonderfully rich flavours. As the wine ages it will move into tertiary characteristics leading to increased complexity as well as develop an even smoother mouthfeel. Despite this wine’s long projected lifespan, it is a joy to taste now after at least an hour in a decanter and served alongside foods that are rich in protein, acid and salt as they soften the wine’s tannins. Think roast lamb with garlic and rosemary, hearty stews, roast beef and hard cheeses. Yield (tonnes): 2.5 tonnes/acre (6 tonnes/ha) Yield (litres): 1500 L/ acre (3700/ha) Trellising: Pendelbogen Age of Vines: 20+ year Vine Density: 1210/acre (300/ha) Winemaking Harvest date: 10/19/2015 Brix at Harvest: 27.7◦ C Fermentation: Open-top stainless steel bins, with punch down twice per day for 4 weeks Oak Treatment: 2 years in new French oak barriques Technical information Appellation: VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake Blend: 50% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon Production (bottles): 4000 Alcohol: 16.0% Residual Sugar: 5.3g/L Total Acidity: 5.7 g/L AWARDS: Decanter World Wine Awards | United Kingdom - 2020 | Silver American Wine Society | USA - 2021 | Bronze