Winemaker's Notes
GAMAY NOIR
Our Gamay Noir is a medium-bodied, easy-drinking red wine. It has a purplish red colour and will remind you of cherry and berry fruit on the nose. The tannins are soft but still apparent to give a little structure. Fermentation and aging is done in stainless steel so the flavours are strictly the grape. The finish is smooth and it lingers just long enough.
GAMAY NOIR ‘DROIT’, ST. DAVID’S BENCH
In the early ’80s Paul was doing routine inspections in the vineyard and noticed a single Gamay Noir vine growing straight up and taller than the others in the block. He was interested in the potential of this vine so we took cuttings and propagated the vine and eventually made wine from these specific grapes. The wine did have some of the classic Gamay characteristics, cherry flavours and a medium body style, but there was also a layer of complexity that was a pleasant surprise.
Gamay ‘Droit’ also has warm spicy notes and a hint of smokiness that is quite lovely. It is also higher in alcohol making it more mid-weight in style. The wine was different enough from standard Gamay that we thought we actually had a different clone on our hands. Once the genetic testing was done we found out that Canada’s first vinifera vine was born right in our vineyard! We were granted International Plant Breeders’ Rights, a sort of patent, so no one else in the world can grow this vine or make this wine called Gamay Noir ‘Droit’. Because this wine is so interesting in the glass we decided to not oak age it. What you taste is the unique flavours of Gamay ‘Droit’.
‘OLD VINES’ PINOT NOIR
Testing and tasting are both very important parts of the winemaking process. Myself, Paul Sr. and members of the winemaking team pull samples regularly to assess the progress of our wines. When we tested this batch of Pinot Noir it was clear that it was a stand-out.
Made with grapes from the oldest vines in our St. David’s Bench Vineyard we used barrel ageing to enhance the depth and richness. The wine has flavours of raspberries nicely integrated giving the wine structure and age-ability.
PINOT NOIR, PAUL BOSC ESTATE
Much like Equuleus, the Paul Bosc Pinot Noir is made only in outstanding vintages. Throughout the growing season, we carefully monitor the yield produced by the oldest vines in the Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard to achieve the optimal balance between tannin ripeness, brix and flavour. The wine is aged for 16 months in brand new French oak barrels, imparting an extra layer of complexity on this delicate, nuanced and balanced wine with silky tannins.
CABERNET-MERLOT
This Cabernet- Merlot is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot sourced from several different vineyards. We like to use a combination of sources for this wine to achieve consistency in the bottle vintage to vintage. The juice underwent cold-soak maceration for the first three days with the remainder temperature controlled. A few months in French oak barrels added complexity and a hint of spice, but not to overpower the wonderful bouquet of strawberry and cassis. The tannins are nicely integrated and balanced. This wine is drinking well now but will continue to evolve in the bottle for several more years.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
The grape bunches for this Cabernet Sauvignon were hand-sorted right in the vineyard and only high quality bunches made the grade. This hands-on approach continued in the cellar with ten months of aging in French oak barrels and regular stirring of the lees. The wine is vibrant with mouth-watering black cherry, dark chocolate and warm spice notes wrapped in toasty vanilla. Classic old world style Cab Sauv. It’s ready to drink now but will continue to evolve in the bottle over the next few years.