My experience with Ontario Merlot has not been impressive. However jazz it up with some oak and it can work a bit of magic. The label on this Colio Estate Winery 2020 Reserve Merlot states, “ …and the smooth silky finish bestowed on the wine by skilled oak aging.” Their website fails to describe the origin of the oak, whether it was new or old and in what percentage and how long it was aged.
Aroma: Black cherry, blackberry, raspberry and just a bit of cranberry.
Palate: Tannic. A slight bit of sweetness. Harsh and certainly no “smooth silky finish”! Merlot when done well has a certain amount of “Ocean’s Eleven” lushness. Can’t find that here and I refuse to bow to terroir on this. I would suggest decanting for an hour or cross your fingers and age for a couple of years to calm it down. Let’s not give up!
Personality: Rough and ill mannered. Perhaps a short stint in reform school can help.
Food Match: A Friday night wine…you know what I mean…wink nod…is this Merlot a goer? Monty Python to the rescue.
Cellarbility: Why not risk giving this Merlot a rest in the cellar and try in 2025?
Price: $19.95CDN (Ontario).
Comments from the peanut gallery: Many an Ontario Merlot is tasteless but not here. It has some character and perhaps with a bit of age some hope.
RKS 2024 Wine Rating: 84/100. Sarah D’Amato 91.
(Colio Estate Winery 2020 Reserve Merlot, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Colio Estate Wines, Harrow, Ontario,750 mL, 13%).
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