TN--Ontario's (baby) Cheval Blanc?

I’ll get blowback for that, I’m sure, but it’s my tasting note and I can write what I want. I shared one of my bottles of 2011 Pearl Morissette Cuvee Persephone Cab Franc with two of my closest friends, Lynn and Jon (I think I had my last bottle 2.5 years ago at WineFest IV). When I first tasted this many years ago, I said to Francois Morissette that it did remind me a little bit of Cheval Blanc. I won’t say this could be mistaken for it, but it is getting back close to that initial promise now. Absolutely fluid and silky smooth dans la bouche, it also shows fine and beamed purity of demure red fruit. No olives. No bell pepper. No green-ness. Not in this bottle, anyway. Lovelylicious and enjoyed by all of us. I’m glad I have a few more of these.

Maluhia,

Mike

Love to see Niagara wines getting some love! I always stop at the LCBO when I’m in town to pick up a few to bring back to Cali.

Mike, you had me until here. Always good to see quality wine being made here in North America though.

Mike, all I can say with regards to a Morissette wine is… ‘you oughta know’.

Hi Mike . I find this tasting note interesting as Gayle and I tasted that wine in early 2012 when it was still in stainless steel. At that time it had a delicate pinot noir like character that we loved. The following year when we visited François he had us taste it again from oak barrels. That tasting was completely different with the flavors muted by the oak and as you said no apparent vegetal flavors. At the time we were disappointed that such a delicate wine was exposed to oak. However that said, based on your tasting note he clearly saw where this wine was headed. To me the stainless stored cabernet franc is an ethereal wine like pinot noir whereas the oak stored wine adds weight to make it a fuller bodied. It is this split personality that attracts me to cabernet franc based wines.

Never having had one, does Cheval Blanc show the Franc greenness or pepper notes? Or, are you one of those Loire-Franc-or-No-Franc guys?

I do enjoy non-Loire examples, but much more drawn to Loire Franc.

And I like that aspect of CF often as well. This does talk to the spectrum that the grape can achieve.

I am pretty sure it’s 100%, BTW, not blended.

Jeremy, LOL! I’m sure you’re aware Francois made wine for Freddy Mugnier for a number of years.

It’s interesting. I rememeber tasting the '10 '11 and '12 from barrel and bottle and never really being moved by them, but the Cuvee Madeline '14 from bottle and the '15 from barrel really blew me away on my last visit.

'15, I have the empty truck waiting to back it up. Funny enough, wasn’t as big a fan of the 14, though I have some bottles of it.

I think Cab Franc is a good grape for Ontario both Niagara and the County, given the climate. Both quality wise and commercially.

Agreed, and Pearl Morissette does a great job with the grape. They are undoubtedly one of the top Ontario wineries.

Richard - Do you mean PE County? If so I was not aware that cabernet franc hit their sweet spot.

Perhaps it is better these wines remain unknown to the rest of the continent. PM is not even doing regular tastings right now as they have no wine to sell. If only most other producers on the Beamsville Bench followed their lead and worked as creatively with the grapes they farm. Especially with the warmer summers that seem more common now, the challenge of getting fully ripe grapes is more a function of crop yield and hang time. Can the Ontario producers keep holding the line and push for greater definition and vineyard expression? I certainly hope so. Heading up this weekend to poke around, want to see what 30 Bench is up to with their cab Franc now that they won a Decanter award

Check the weather before you do, Dennis! Otherwise, happy hunting. Normally I’d love to come out and meet you out there, but unfortunately am booked for this weekend.

Best

Mike