|
2008 Whimsy! Cabernet Franc VQA
Certified Organic & Biodynamic
$34.95 / 750ml (Ontario Price Shown)
Wine Lovers' Notes:
In the Glass
Nose: Real depth of aroma with cocoa, blueberry, kirsch, cedar, and licorice.
Palate: Plush with ripe black raspberry, plums and blueberry with a hint of cedar.
Finish: Velvety tannins, dense fruit, and notes of vanilla on the long, finessed finish.
In Print
Silver Medal - 2011 Canadian Wine Awards
"It was a lighter, cooler vintage in Niagara, but this has fared well and is entering prime time. Expect quite lifted, piquant, redcurrant/raspberry fruit aromas set amid typical Cab Franc herbaceous notes of thyme, tobacco and peppery spice. It's mid-weight, quite elegant, with softening tannin. The finish fairly green and slightly bitter; the length is excellent. Best now through 2015".
- David Lawrason, WineAlign.com
"Cab Franc is a staple of the Whimsy! series of wines. Sperling is considering releasing the 2010 vintage before the 2009 wines, but still has a bit of the wonderful 2008s, released in the fall, to sell through. The nose shows cassis, blackberry, blueberry, kirsch and raspberry with nicely integrated oak spices. Unmistakably Cab Franc in the mouth with good varietal fruit, roasted herbs, cedar and spice".
- Rick Vansickle, Wines in Niagara
90 points - "Deep ruby; cedar, spicy, savoury, black fruit nose; ripe currant fruit with vanilla oak. Elegant, well made, dry with ripe tannins".
- Tony Aspler
"Here is an aromatically enticing Franc with a bouquet of cassis, bell pepper, peppermint, violets, vanilla and earth. The palate emulates the nose and the soft texture makes it amiable to grilled calves liver in a mushroom sauce".
- Evan Saviolidis, EvanWineSavvy.com
Community Cookbook:
Submit your own recipes here!
Winemaker's Notes:
In the Vineyard
| Varietal: |
85% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot,
6% Cabernet Sauvignon
|
| Appellation: |
VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake
Estate vineyard |
| Brix at harvest: |
21.7° & 22.3° |
In the Winery
| Alcohol: |
13.2% |
| Titratable Acidity: |
5.7 g/l |
| ph: |
3.5 |
| Residual Sugar: |
2 g/l |
| Bottled: |
May 12, 2010 |
| Closure: |
Natural cork |
| Cases Produced: |
192 |
| Release Date: |
June 2011 |
In the Cellar
Grapes were hand harvested from the estate vineyard and rigorously cluster sorted before destemming. 50% whole & 50% crushed to both stainless and oak fermenation tanks. Five weeks of total maceration time before gentle pressing, settling of the wine prior to barrel ageing in 88% French oak and 12% American oak cooperage. Only a course filtration prior to bottling.
|
Comments