Featured Accolades
"This small production of a Bordeaux-styled blend shows superb concentration of fruit on the nose—tart cherry, black plum and cassis—wrapped in delicate aromas of cedar, cinnamon and a distant floral note. Silky soft on the palate with crunchy red fruit flavour and a replay of dark plum dusted with a touch of black peppercorn, this medium-bodied, mellow tannin red blend offers mouth-watering refreshing acidity and a persistent harmonious fruit-forward and savoury finish. A definite crowd pleaser that’s extremely versatile at the table. Pair with grilled stuffed Portobello mushrooms or roasted herb and mustard pork tenderloin" 91 points -- Louise Boutin, winecurrent.com, March 2021
"Last produced in 2012, this estate-bottled red blend is produced with grapes grown at Château des Charmes’ three family-owned vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot that’s been aged in French oak barrels for 15 months, this nicely concentrated and complex wine offers a mix of ripe fruit and savoury notes. Released as a four-year-old wine, this is ready to drink, but has the structure and fruit intensity to cellar over the next four to six years. Drink now to 2027." 90 points -- Christopher Waters, watersonwines.com, March 2021
"This estate red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot that was aged for 15 months in French oak barrels. The winery hasn’t made this blend since 2012, but has brought it back to focus on quality over quantity for this new vintage release. The nose shows ripe black cherries and raspberries with supporting cassis, red currants, cocoa and integrated spice notes. The fruit shines on the palate with a basket of red berries, anise, cassis, subtle herbs, oak spice notes, well structured and finessed through a long finish. Can age for 4+ years. Nice Niagara red blend at a delicious price" 91 points -- Rick Vansickle, winesinniagara.com, March 21
"A substantial wine made from plots planted beginning in 1983-1985 and then again in 1992-1996 (in all four of their vineyards) – about a third each of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot, coming in at 12.6% ABV after 15 months time in French oak. Expect some intricacy with its medium mocha, cedar, vanilla and cassis, but double-decant the bottle before serving. The extra airing will help soften it and give it a longer length from the older vines. Tasted successfully over a number of days ... It should outlast the pandemic." 93 points -- Dean Tudor, deantudor.com, Gothic Epicures, April 2021
"This bottle was a breath of fresh air - There is a trend with many winemakers from Niagara on the Lake to try to emulate warm climate regions with Cabernet and Merlot… and don’t get me wrong, in a hot summer we can deliver the goods. The alcohol in this bottle sits at 12.5% and it could very well be a time machine looking into how things used to work in Bordeaux - in December I managed to get my hands on a bottle of Chateau de Lamarque from 1983 that also had alcohol at 12.5%. I had to phone winemaker Amélie Boury to ask her about this. She told me it was a conscious decision to make the wine in this style. This perfectly elegant cab merlot leans into the strengths of Niagara regardless of vintage. The aromas are an explosion of raspberry, cranberry, and caressed in violet and fresh herb garden. The savoury notes are harmonious and play in perfect rhythm with the torrents of fresh fruit. As the wine opened up notes of blackberry, plum, and sour cherry. The tannin is soft and well integrated in the wine already - 2017 wasn’t a hot summer but I think this should evolve nicely until 2027. My last word on this is that wine made in this style is critical to helping Ontario continue to develop its own identity instead of chasing something it isn’t." 4 Stars -- André Proulx, andrewinereview.com, April 2021
"The old vines in question here come from three sources: Four Mile Creek, St. David's Bench and the Paul Bosc Estate (across from the winery), is age 15 months in oak and uses the three traditional Bordeaux staples of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot (no percentage given). The nose is a delight of black cherry and vanilla, while the palate throws in a little white smoke and raspberry into the mix ... The mid-palate is quite juicy, while the finish adds in a little pepper and smoke for good measure." 4/5 Stars -- Michael Pinkus, www.michaelpinkuswinereview.com, May 2021
