Magnotta Wines presents us with an Ontario VQA red blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is non-vintage with the winery website stating the wine is from “a combination of two outstanding vintages of premium red blends of which 50% is from appassimento wines.” What were the outstanding vintage years?
The website also sates that “selected” Limited Edition wines, of which this wine is described as one are barrel aged in French/American oak for 12-18 months then bottle aged for an additional 6 months. Is this wine one of those “selected” Limited Edition wines? Are the oak barrels new or old or a combination of the two? Befuddling consumers?
Aroma: Blueberry, cassis, black cherry in a raspberry frame.
Palate: Bit of a tannic kick accompanied by a dose of pepper. Blueberry, date, purple Ontario plum and some sour cherry nectar with a lingering pepper finish.
Personality: I try to show my sophistication with an enormously heavy bottle which some consumers may associate with top quality wines. I am certainly a decent wine but does the vague term “Limited Edition” really add anything to my quality? May I humbly suggest decanting me for an hour to draw out a bit more complexity?
Food Match: Tis the season for abundant Ontario produce so why not a sour dough crust pizza with field plum tomato sauce topped with Mortadella and Niagara peach slices.
Price: $19.45 CDN.
Cellarbility: No harm in hanging around until 2026-year end. Might soften a bit but don’t count on it.
RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine Rating: 89/100. Wine Align Community Score 89.
(Magnotta Limited Edition Non-Vintage PZaZZ, VQA Ontario, Magnotta, Ontario, 750 mL, 14.6%).
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