Merlot as a single varietal wine has a bleak future in Ontario. But blend it with Ontario wunderkid Cabernet Franc and lackluster Cabernet Sauvignon and you can consistently have a great Ontario Meritage in both Niagara and Lake Erie North Shore. Sometimes the sum can outshine some of the parts.
For example, the Queen Bee 2019 Meritage from Lakeview Wine Company in Niagara-on-the-Lake is a blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc. The juice was transferred to stainless steel tanks and fermented on their skins and then transferred to 70% Hungarian and 30% American oak.
Aroma: An immediately approachable, accessible and delightful aroma greets the nose. Toasty and smoky. Blackberry dominates the landscape of the wine.
Palate: Yet more blackberry but not jammy as it has lightness almost hovering over the wine as opposed to burrowing down in it. Just a tiny bit of dark chocolate on the finish courtesy of the Cabernet Franc. Unidimensional but so delicious no complaints from these sidelines. Acids and tannins in complete harmony. Assuming you do not have a cellar a maximum of 15 minutes in the refrigerator please. Not what you would label a long finish but the faint impression of blackberry hangs in there.
Personality: Dale Carnegie “How to Make Friends and Influence People” is the name of my game.
Food Match: A Navy Bean Soup from Kingston’s Chez Piggy jazzed up with Parmesan rinds Ribolla style.
Cellarbility: Consume by 2025-year end.
Price: $20 CDN (Ontario) LCBO Store Manager Discount Price otherwise $24.95.
RKS 2024 Wine Rating: 91/100. Tony Aspler 89-91.
(Queen Bee 2019 Meritage, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Lakeview Wine Company, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, 750 mL, 13%).
A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity 