2017 Trius Red – Vintages 303800 – $24.95 – ****+ – It’s been a couple years since I’ve written about Trius Red, so let me apologize for that. Drinking Trius Red always feels a little like coming home – when I first moved to Ontario in 2007 this wine is one of the constants for me. While I’ve witnessed the foundations of the Niagara wine industry go stronger – this wine has been the consistent benchmark for quality in terms of red wine in the province. The 2017 vintage is no exception. While the summer wasn’t as hot and dry as the previous 2016 vintage – the wines from 2017 that I’ve tasted so far are all exceeding what I expected them to be. They may not be as ageworthy as some of the 2016’s but I’m okay not needing to wait years and years to get to my bottles. The 2017 is the most accessible, easy drinking incarnation of this wine that I have ever tasted. This is one of those vintages that really shows the potential of the climate for Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. The fruit is juicy raspberry, cherry, and wild strawberry. The tannin is soft and very well integrated – but there is some very nice structure to this wine. Drink this now or hold it for 5-7 years.
