The colour is medium ruby. On the nose black cherries, plumbs and black tea. In the mouth not very structured, with a bitter finish. The aftertaste is short.
This Merlot based wine is made by Inniskillin, Canada’s first estate winery. Although established only in 1975, it is the oldest continuously operating winery in Canada. In this respect, it needs to be noted that after the repeal of alcohol prohibition in 1927, the Canadian provinces strictly limited the number of licences to produce wine. A nearly 50-year moratorium on issuing new winery licences was dropped only in 1974. The first winery licence was granted on July 31, 1975 to Inniskillin winery.
For its Reserve Series, Inniskillin sources the grapes from specific vineyards throughout the Niagara Peninsula.
Canada doesn’t have any indigenous red grape variety. Besides Icewine, Canada’s winemaking doesn’t have much of an identity neither. Most major international red grapes are cultivated, especially the classic Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Malbec and Carmenere (also from Bordeaux), Pinot Noir and Gamay from Burgundy, and Syrah from the Rhône Valley are also grown.
For this bottle I paid 29.95 CAD (20 CHF) at Wine Rack in Toronto.
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Grapes: Merlot
Type: Red
Vintage: 2020
Producer: Inniskillin
Price range: Medium (15-30 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 2/5