As close to claret as an Ontario red blend comes. Dense ruby-black in colour with a nose of cedar and blackcurrant; finely tuned and firmly structured. Drinking well now and can hold for a couple of years.
This is a pretty Merlot ... so pretty that it even won a gold medal at the annual Decanter Wine Awards. Plum, dark cherry, earth, smoke, cocoa and spice are the dominant qualities. There is also a slight floral and animal quality which trickles underneath. There is richness, suave tannins and enough stuffing to allow it to age for another 3 or 4 years.
A brilliant effort with this Rhône-style Syrah. The nose is redolent in wild berries, boysenberry, tobacco leaf, cracked black pepper, smoked meats, cinnamon and campfire smoke. It’s smooth and inviting on the palate with meaty dark fruits, pepper, currants, liquorice, road tar and juicy acidity. Attractive now, but can age for a few years.
This top Cab Franc from Tinhorn is youthful on release but still shows bold cherry, raspberry, cassis and currant fruits on the nose that work remarkably well with the cedar, earth, spiced herbs and Cuban cigar leaf. It shows good acid on the palate with waves of savoury fruits and spice that lingers through the finish. It gains cedar, vanilla, herbs and spice as it opens up in the glass. Worth putting a few down in the cellar for 5 or so years.
The Icon 2010 red is a bold blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon that saw 22 months in new oak. This is one heck of a wine. It’s dark and thick in the glass with highly extracted black cherry, blackcurrants, roasted espresso bean, vanilla toast, mocha and an array of thrilling spices swirling around on the nose. It’s big, bold and brash, but not clunky, on the palate and built for the cellar with black fruits, lifted spices, cocoa, vanilla, black liquorice, campfire smoke, persistence through the finish and grippy tannins. Needs time for the moving parts to all come together.
This vintage of Rosewood’s Sémillion is lighter than last year’s rendition. Aromatically, it has the lanolin, peach and honey qualities associated with the varietal, but then a “Grüner” quality emerges in the form of white pepper and herbs. The palate exudes refreshing acidity, and there is very good length.
Because of the heat in 2010, the nose is fast developing. It is the petrol quality which has taken the lead, followed by lime, grapefruit, peach and bergamot. The palate is soft with some noticeable sweetness and honey tones chiming in on the finale. Chill well and drink over the summer months.