There is nothing on the label of the 2017 Amore from Casa Dea Estates Winery indicating what grape is in the bottle. The label states “Amore is a lush, blended red wine”. A blend means more than one grape. Trying to solve the puzzle I visit the Casa Dea website and the bottle shown for the 2017 vintage is the 2013 vintage with a description that it is a Cabernet Franc blend. The Liquor Control Board website states “The 2017 vintage was a great year for Ontario reds, and Cabernet Franc was an especially successful variety.” Their website has a bottle pic showing the vintage is 2017.
So not being entirely certain what I am drinking let us proceed.
Aroma: Must be Cabernet Franc of some proportion with rich back cherry, milk chocolate and blackberry.
Palate: Expansive mouth feel. Noticeable but controlled tannins. Acid in the backroom where it rightly belongs. Big fruit but is it possible it will need more time in the bottle to soften? Moderately long finish.
Personality: My marketing may be frayed at the fringes but consider me bold particularly for an Ontario Cabernet Franc (if my identity crisis is headed in that direction). Could there be some Ontario Merlot as some long-lost parent of mine. Daddy is Cabernet Franc but Mommy or did Daddy have an affair with another grape!
Food Match: The wine is a bit of a burly one so how about flank steak marinated in honey, soy sauce, ginger and garlic.
Cellarbility: I do not think I will soften much with ageing. I would consume by 2024-year end. The slight coffee notes on the nose hint at the arrival of old age.
Price: $27.80 CDN (Ontario) at a Manager’s Overstock Discount otherwise $34.95.
RKS 2024 Wine Rating: 88/100.
Comments From the Peanut Gallery: Given the quality vastly overpriced.
(Casa Dea Estates Winery 2017 Amore, VQA Prince Edward County, Casa Dea Estate Winery, Wellington, Ontario, 750 mL, 13.5%).
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