I have been a fan of wines from the Lake Erie North Shore (LENS) appellation in Ontario for quite some time. I go back so far I remember the first wine from Cooper’s Hawk I reviewed was a Chardonnay and these guys were so new it wasn’t even VQA. Then fame crept up on LENS and samples dried up so my coverage did as well. What a shame so many good wines!
It seems LENS wine could use some allies. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) bravely touts in its 2August2025 Vintages release catalogue CANADIAN WINES! As far as red wines are concerned from Ontario there are 7 wines from the Niagara appellation and 2 from LENS. There are none from Prince Edward County. Enough said.
We try a Cooper’s Hawk Talon Red from Cooper’s Hawk in Harrow, Ontario. It is a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot.
Aroma: Black cherry, cocoa, red currant, cactus pear, nutmeg and raspberry.
Palate: Bramble, kirsch, raspberry, rhubarb pie and wet stone. Mildly tannic. Somewhat austere. Reticent with its fruit. Short and smoky finish.
Personality: OK so I am not memorable but I can hold my own with the “big boys” of Niagara so there is no need to denigrate LENS wines by the LCBO ignoring them.
Food Match: The label suggests “fully loaded ballpark franks”. Dicey! I’d pair it with some pizza from nearby Kingsville! I once had a Hester Creek Merlot from British Columbia that was afflicted by a sulfuric hot dog smell so suffering from red wine hot dog PTSD I will not pair red wine with a hot dog!
Cellarbility: Might as well consume this year.
RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine Rating: 87/100. Wine Align Community Rating 88.
(Cooper’s Hawk Vineyard 2021 Talon Red, VQA Ontario, Cooper’s Hawk Vineyards, Harrow, Ontario, 750 mL, 13%).
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