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13th Street Expression Series Cabernet Merlot 2020

Canada, Ontario

53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc. The best qualities of each variety are captured in this artfully assembled blend. Medium deep ruby hue with richly satisfying notes of raspberry compôte, cherry, licorice and bitter chocolate. Fresh and well balanced with rich mouth-feel and complexity. Soft tannins characterize the elegant structure of the wine.

Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Region	Niagara Peninsula
Producer	13th Street Winery
Vintage	2020
Color	Red Wine
Varietal(s)	53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc.

¥3,300 (incl. tax)

Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Region	Niagara Peninsula
Producer	13th Street Winery
Vintage	2020
Color	Red Wine
Varietal(s)	53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc.

Data

Closure	Screw Cap
Volume	750ml
Alcohol	13%
Product Code	A003R02120
UPC	895770200480
Inventory	In Stock (81)

Owning & Enjoying

Tasting notes

Bright garnet in the glass with intense aromas of cassis, damson plums and dark chocolate. The palate is dry but fruity, with ripe tannins, refreshing acidity and complex flavours of blackberries, vanilla and subtle spice. The finish is savoury and flavourful with light grip from the tannins and lingering vanilla.

Pairing

Enjoy with grilled red meats, rich meaty pasta sauces or hard cheeses.

Cellaring

Drink 2023-2026

Press

90Decanter (UK)

Bronze Medal, Decanter World Wine Awards

90WineAlign

Silver, 2022 National Wine Awards of Canada

90WineAlign

Janet Dorozynski Dip WSET, Ph.D. Blackberry and savoury grilled green and red pepper notes define the nose and palate of this dry fruit froward red. Quite concentrated with grainy tannins and fresh acidity. A long dark berry, spiced finish.

90WineAlign

John Szabo, MS Here's a pleasantly ripe but still properly leafy and spicy cabernet-merlot blend (franc and sauvignon), the way Bordeaux used to be (and occasionally still is), with balanced-fresh acids, succulent and saliva-inducing. Tannins are fine but appealingly gritty, containing the lively fruit, while length and depth are very good, as is comp-lexity. A classic, 'gastronomic' wine, best at the table with some salty protein - I really like what's going on here, especially the pleasure-for-money. Drink or hold to 2026. Tasted August 2022.

Production

Appellation

VQA Niagara Peninsula

Vintage Notes

Winter of 2020 started with warmer than average temperatures from January through March followed by a cooler than average April. Bud break was in the second and third week of May. From thereon, temperatures increased and the summer months were above average temperatures with little precipitation, allowing for full phenolic development. Harvest remained dry and sunny with cool nights, important for maintaining acidity. There was little to no disease pressure, resulting in clean and ripe fruit. Harvest started in the second week of September with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gamay for sparkling, followed quickly by aromatic whites and then later ripening whites. Gamay was the first red variety harvested in early-to-mid October followed closely by Pinot Noir and Merlot. Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon were the last varieties to be harvested, taking place the last week of October through early November. Berry size was recognized to be smaller than previous years with an intense dark colour, suggesting the potential for increased concentration of flavour and colour extraction. The quality of the grapes was very good to excellent throughout the portfolio. Wines should have the capacity to age for the medium to long term.

Vinification

Our Expression Cabernet Merlot is a blend of our two estate vineyards in Creek Shores, created to showcase both a perfect Expression of Niagara Cabernet Merlot and also of our winemaker’s style! The grapes were harvested by variety between mid-to-late October (starting with the Merlot and then the Cabernet Franc) and mid-November (for the Cabernet Sauvignon) and were then crushed and transferred to stainless steel for primary fermentation over approximately 30 days. The wines were then pressed and transferred to a selection of 228, 400, 500 and 600 liter oak barrels of various ages for six months. Following this the final blend was assembled and the wine lightly fined and filtered prior to bottling in September 2021.

Producer

Producer Description

Discover 13^th Street Winery

Originally started by four amateur winemaker friends the winery was purchased in 2008 by the current owners: John & June Mann and Doug & Karen Whitty. Both families have deep roots in the Niagara community.

13th Street Winery evolved from a desire to create exceptional wines that reflect the unique terroir of Niagara, while also providing a place for guests to congregate and escape; to relax and discover; and to experience and learn. Owners, partners, and friends Doug and Karen Whitty and John and June Mann share a common love of wine, food, art, and a genuine heart for hospitality. It was this shared appreciation that brought them together and inspired the vision for 13th Street Winery.

Both families have established roots in Niagara and a strong commitment to the community. Doug Whitty is the third generation to be operating the family farm in St. Catharines, which was originally established in 1908. John Mann has been involved in farming for over 30 years, while also building a very successful automotive dealership network in St. Catharines and the surrounding areas.

Winemaker l Jean-Pierre Colas

Jean-Pierre Colas is one of the most talented French trained winemakers in the business. His winemaking philosophy is quite simple.

He believes that great wines come from the best grapes grown in the best vineyards, whereas winemaking techniques are only utilized to supplement and capture the very essence of the grapes’ provenance and character. With this philosophy in mind, JP excels at crafting high-quality red wines paramount to the Niagara peninsula: Gamay Noir, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Pinot Noir. Likewise, JP guides the production of exceptional white wines, including world class Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Gewurztraminer.

In his home country of France, JP worked at the notable Chablis house, Domaine Laroche, where he produced Wine Spectator Magazine’s 1998 White Wine of the Year, an award he received for his Domaine Laroche Grand Cru Les Clos 1996. Also in 1998, Jean-Pierre was awarded the Best Wine in the Wine Enthusiast, Grand Cru Chablis Blanchots “Reserve de l’obedience” 1996 (99 pts).

Between France and his current residency at 13th Street, Jean-Pierre travelled and worked extensively around the world, including Carmen Vineyards in Chile, Bodegas Chandon in Argentina, and Oyster Bay Winery in New Zealand. He has studied and worked under a number of exceptional winemakers including Michel Givors in Morgon, Beaujolais and Gilbert Picq, and Michel Laroche in Chablis, Burgundy.

In 2018, Jean-Pierre received White Wine of the Year and a Gold Medal for Premier Cuvée 2012 at the 2018 Ontario Wine Awards.

Vineyards

13th Street is Sustainable Winemaking Ontario Certified Each vintage. 100% of the wines produced by 13th Street Winery are made from fruit sourced exclusively in the Niagara Peninsula with 85% or more coming from their own vineyards. Their very first vines were planted at the 13th Street Vineyard in 1976. In the years since, they’ve planted Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Pinot Gris and now have amassed more than 40 acres of estate vineyards in the VQA Creek Shores appellation of Niagara.

Customer Reviews