2016 Rosewood Nebulous – $24.95 – **** – This is the first “sparkling” offering from Rosewood. I am putting the Sparkling in quotes because it’s not really a Sparkling in the sense that most Ontario wine lovers are familiar. This is essentially an Ancestral style sparkling wine made with the remaining 15 Semillon vines from Rosewood and Pinot Noir. Ancestral style means there is no second fermentation that takes place. If you’re expecting Champagne you may be disappointed, but there is a lot of good in this bottle of wine. In a world where “Natural wine” or “Orange wine” has become divisive in terms of how to define, and whether or not it’s good you will notice this website has remained on the sidelines. The bottom line for me is the wine has to taste good. The verdict on this bottle – It’s good wine! There are flavours and aromas of raspberries, and cherry. This wine finishes bone dry, with the carbonation lifting it off the palate on the finish. If this experiment is a sign of things to come from Rosewood, we should all be sitting on the edge of our seats waiting for what is yet to come.
2014 Lock, Stock and Barrel – $39.95 – **** – The Lock, Stock and Barrel from Rosewood is their top tier Bordeaux blend. It is the definition of terroir driven winemaking. The 2012 and 2013 were both outstanding wines from their respective vintage, but completely different if you were to pour them side by side. It would seem the 2014 vintage may be somewhat of a sleeper for red wine lovers in Ontario. The red wines I have been tasting from this vintage have been outstanding. This wine is no exception. It brings raspberry, blackberry and plum to the bottle and to the glass. The tannin is firm, this wine will need some time in a decanter or in a cellar for 3-5 years to relax before approach. Enjoy this with grilled or roasted red meats.
2015 Rosewood Legacy Cyser – $19.95 – **** – This bottle brings a family recipe that was accidentally found to the bottle. This is a blend of fermented apple and honey. The apple brings some nice acidity to the bottle. There is a little sweetness on the finish but it’s perfectly balanced with the acidity from the apple. I’m a big fan of the Mead from Rosewood, but, to be frank, it can be a little hard to figure out how to serve it. I am hoping the Cyser will see a little more love when it comes to mealtime. This will make a perfect match to eastern european cuisine – imagine perogies, kielbasa or bratwurst.
