Wine writers must suffer boredom reviewing wines if they have no passion. You might want to say I am passionate about discovering good Ontario Merlot despite the fact it might be a Sir Edmund Hillary climb to find one. The majority taste neutered with little power to impress. Sure you can point to terroir to defend an Ontario Merlot. Terroir only goes far but don’t use it as terror to baffle and intimidate wine drinkers. The ignorant amongst us think simplistically. Either a Merlot is good or it isn’t.
The grapes were machine and optically sorted to separate the ripest grapes. Aged in 100% French oak barrels from Tonnellerie Sirgue-Nuits Saint Georges (25% new) for 10 months. 499 cases were made. The winemakers were David Johnson and Kevin Chuan Qin.
Featherstone Estate in the Niagara region makes a superb rosé perhaps the best in Ontario and perhaps in all of Canada. But Merlot?
Aroma: Ginja D’Óbidos, black raspberry, black cherry all in an austere framework stubbornly refusing to open raincoat flash its oak instead managing to keep it integrated into the wine.
Palate: Gentle and smooth tannins with acids way back in the cheap seats. Raspberry, cocoa and freshly picked early season strawberries. Precise with no flab so no way can it be called rich. It is bordering on elegant and with just a bit more fruit showing it could be.
Personality: I am light on my feet but if RKS 2024 Wine says I am neutered they can go to hell.
Food Match: Japanese cod curry. Try the S&B or Glico curry mix.
Price: $20 CDN (Ontario).
Cellarbility: The winery says 5-10 years cellaring potential. I would say drink by 2026-year end.
RKS 2024 Wine Rating: 90/100. Rick VanSickle 92.
(Featherstone 2021 Red Tail Merlot, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Featherstone Estate Winery, Vineland, Ontario, 750 mL, 12.5%).
Comments from the peanut gallery: In this case this is no neutered Ontario Merlot. No impossible dream involved here. A good Ontario Merlot.
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