When I first started writing about wine it was late summer 2010. Craig McDonald had just been hired as the head winemaker at Trius and told me that the quality of harvest was the best he had ever seen in Ontario. So, when I spoke to him recently and he told me that when he arrived at Trius he wasn’t sure what he was going to do with all the Cabernet Franc my jaw dropped. The 2010 Red Shale Cabernet Franc won more awards than I could list here. I can say without a doubt that the 2010 Cab Franc was the best that I tasted in 2013. So it was interesting to hear from the man who created this wine say that he wasn’t sure what to do with the fruit.
After the quality of the 2010 Red Shale Cab Franc to say I was excited to try the 2012 version of the Red Shale Cabernet Franc is an understatement. As Ontario wine consumers we have been very lucky to have such great vintages so close together. With 2010 and 2012 had nearly perfect growing conditions for big red wines. This summer is going to be amazing if you’re a consumer in Ontario as the wineries start to release some killer, cellar-worthy 2012 red wines from Ontario.
So, now that I’ve gushed over the Cabernet Franc you may ask yourself why Merlot is in the headline for this post? It is no secret have been highly critical of green Merlot that we often get from Ontario (I have shed zero tears at the loss of many merlot vines in the province due to back to back cold winters). Merlot ripens later than Cabernet Franc and the vines can’t handle the cold nearly as well. I am convinced more than ever that Cabernet Franc is what will define Ontario. That being said there are exceptions … the RHS Merlot from Trius is one of these wines. I have had to rethink my condemnation of Merlot with consistently great wines coming from Peninsula Ridge, Featherstone and Trius. I wanted to taste the RHS Merlot next to the Red Shale Cabernet Franc to see how two bordeaux varietals from the hot 2012 vintage hold up next to each other.
(All wines tasted March 2015)
2012 Trius Red Shale Cabernet Franc – Winery Only – ****1/2+ – This wine is still in its infancy, so if you decide to open it make sure you decant it for 3-5 hours … honestly, you could open the bottle and leave it on the counter overnight and it will still be good to go the next day. Once decanted is a lot going on in the glass. Layers of Plum, Black Currant, Woodsmoke, Cedar and Licorice on the nose and flavours of Black Plum, Black Currant, Blackberry, Mocha, and as the wine opens up you get Raspberry. The tannin is very firm, but will soften with age. The concentration from the fruit and balanced acidity will allow this wine to age beautifully for 10-18 years.
2012 RHS Merlot – Winery Only – ****1/2 – Wow. Consider that an on the record comment about this wine. This is a beautiful expression of Ontario Merlot from a warm summer. This one was opened about an hour before drinking and the tannin wasn’t nearly as firm as with the Cabernet Franc. But the highly concentrated flavours of Cherry, Strawberry and Plum dominate this wine. There is beautiful structure to this wine and it should also age 5-8 years.
2010 RHS Merlot – Winery Only – ****1/2 – (Start Drinking Now) – This wine was decanted prior to drinking for about an hour, but the tannin has already started to soften significantly in this bottle. The bottle I drank had not been stored in a proper wine cellar but still taken care of. Lots of fruit with flavours of Cherry, Strawberry and Plum in the glass as well. While no two vintages are identical I can’t help but feel that I am looking at the future of the 2012. However, when I spoke to Craig McDonald, winemaker at Trius he believes that the 2012 vintage will age even longer.
