2020 Bella Terra Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting Notes: A rich and ripe Cabernet Sauvignon from Niagara’s “Cab Country”, the Four Mile Creek Sub Appellation, home to our estate vineyards. Harvested at the tail end of the blockbuster 2020 vintage from our oldest Cabernet vineyard, this wine is aged in predominantly neutral French oak barrels for 20 months after fermentation to lend the wine structure without overpowering its classic Cabernet Sauvignon nose and palate. Like all of our reserve red wines, it is made with minimal intervention and bottled unfiltered to preserve its integrity and prolong its aging potential. 

Displaying a deep, intense garnet colour it foreshadows its concentration and youthfulness. The nose opens with typical notes of fragrant tobacco, lending an earthy and smoky complexity to the otherwise fruit driven wine. An alluring fragrance of liquorice emerges amongst ripe black current, cherry, and dark chocolate, laced with brighter raspberry notes, adding depth. Hints of fresh sage leaves provide an herbal nuance, contributing to the wine's overall aromatic richness.  

On the palate, it reveals the luscious essence of ripe raspberry, delivering a burst of juicy and tangy fruit flavours. Dark chocolate notes emerge, enhancing the wine's richness and adding a velvety smoothness to the overall taste. The palate is further enriched with the presence of cherry, providing a touch of sweetness and enhancing the wine's depth of flavour.  

This classic Cabernet Sauvignon boasts a long and complex finish that lingers on the palate, leaving a lasting impression. The finish is marked by a delightful spice character, with hints of white pepper and cardamom. These spices add a pleasant warmth to the wine, amplifying its complexity and creating a memorable conclusion to each sip.  

Aging Potential: Decant now or age until 2028+ 

Food Pairing: A perfect food pairing option would be a grilled rib-eye steak with a peppercorn sauce. The robust and flavourful rib-eye steak.

Carl's Wine Club: 93+pts: "This is purely Cabernet Sauvignon….powerful and grippy, yet this wine also displays freshness and elegance. I can feel the oak influence but it is not inappropriate, even shortly after bottling. The nose first offers an abundance of pencil shavings, pipe tobacco, liquorice, black currant and fresh sage while the front palate displays blackberry, black cherry, ripe raspberry and dark chocolate. The mid palate is filled with espresso coffee, fresh herbs, tobacco leaves and cedar. The finish is long and complex, spicy with white pepper and cardamon. Some extra time in the bottle will help to tame the tannins. Decanting is strongly recommended."

Wine Information:

Alcohol: 14.9%

Residual Sugar: 3.0g

Appellation: Four Mile Creek

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