95
Vintages (CAN)
“Sourced from Thirty Bench’s own vineyard, this wine is a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot. Barrel aged separately for a year in French and American oak, the best lots are then selected for the final assemblage. Look for aromas of cassis, redcurrants, cocoa, garrigue, black olives and underbrush. Dry, intensely fruity with wonderfully firm tannins suggesting 4-8 years ageing potential.”
Ref: www.vintages.com/feature/on2009/index.html
Producer
“Medium to full bodied with velvety tannins and flavours of rich black fruits and spice. Black currant, spice and leather notes linger through on the finish.”
Ref: www.thirtybench.com/product-details.php?Products_ID=690
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91
Tasted July 2013. Gorgeous wine. Full of ripe fruit and subtle but complex wood notes. It's at once rich and refined with big flavour carried on great acids and smooth tannins for a silky mouth-feel and long finish. So impressed with this Ontario red.
90
Layers of ripe black cherry, cedar, spring daffodil, hints of dark chocolate and coffee leap from the glass. In the mouth its satiny texture gives way to raspberry and dark chocolate flavours. As the initial flavours disappear, the acidity and tannins seem to show up at the same time creating an interesting sensation of drying and puckering simultaneously. Flavours continue througout this transitory period, bringing dark ripe plums, spice cake, and black cherries. The finish is long and wonderful, with a raspberry pie, black cherry and nutmeg afterglow.
88
Our last bottle of the 2007... still very deep color, with no signs of fading. Lots of fruit on the nose and palate, and the tannins have mellowed to the point where they are almost unnoticeable. Drinking well now, but my sense is that it will not improve further and is poised to start falling apart - indeed, it's probably a bit past its prime already. Ultimately, just a tad disappointing, as I wanted a bit more complexity and a longer finish for a 2007 Niagara red at this price point.
88
Textbook
NR
