Things have been quiet at Hinterbrook for the past couple years. The winery has changed hands and I was curious about what has happened to the wines under new direction. It would seem that the winery is indeed still in good hands.
2013 Cabernet Franc – Winery Only – $19.95 – **** – Elegant with nice savoury notes on the nose and in the glass. This is a solid offering at a reasonable price. Lots of raspberry and blackberry with hints of spice and a nice subtle note of bell pepper on the nose and in the glass. The finish has tannin that is already relaxed and nice acidity on the finish. This should last for 3-5 years in the cellar but to be honest there is no need to save this wine for anything. Enjoy it now with any red meat from the grill.
2013 Hinterbrook Nomad Wanderlust – Vintages 451328 – $24.95 – **** – The nose offers up pencil shaving with smoky meaty notes layered over very fresh Blackberry and Strawberry. The tannin to this wine is quite firm on first approach so you will want to decant this for a bit before drinking it. Once it settles down you find lots of Raspberry, and Blackberry with a nice savory edge to the finish of this wine. This will benefit from a year in the cellar but this isn’t something you should hold onto for a long time. This will make a perfect match to steak or beef ribs.
2013 Sauvignon Blanc – Winery Only – $16.95 – **** – I have been saying “aww yeah” a lot while drinking wine. Ontario Sauvignon Blanc is one of those reasons. Bright citrus aromas on the nose with lemon and lime, more restrained aromas of straw, a hint of mineral tossed in the mix and this palate coating creaminess to round out the package. This wine is complex, but restrained. Even though there is a lot going on in the glass and bottle this is all about subtlety. I can’t wait to sip on this with some shucked oysters or even with pan fried pickerel for a shore lunch.
2014 Sussreserve Riesling – Winery Only – $27.95 – ***½+ – Adding some unfermented juice to the wine after it has fermented is supposed to add a little freshness to the finished product. Mission accomplished. Bright crisp acidity finished the wine, but Apple flavours linger. This wine feels quite serious with lots of citrus notes on the nose and on the palate, but those apples are there. With the high acidity the wine feels very dry, but there is a bit of sweetness on the mid palate. I hope that we get to see more Sussreserve RIesling from wineries in Ontario because I like what I’ve seen so far
