The Event: a tasting of 15 Southbrook wines from 2013 vintage: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay.

The Date and Time: Sunday, February 28, 2016    2Pm to 4PM

The Event: a tasting of 15 Southbrook wines from 2013 vintage: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay. Paul DeCampo led the tasting.

The Venue: WWCC Fieldhouse

The Target Audience: members of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada

The Availability/Catalogue: many of the wines are already available at the winery and to licensees. Some may be coming to Vintages.

The Quote/Background: all of the wines we tasted today are handpicked grapes which are organic – ProCert and Biodynamic Demeter. They are estate bottles and suitable for vegans. All of them are VQA Four Mile Creek, all are wild yeast fermented, and all, except for one done in Missouri oak, are aged in French oak from different forests (as noted on the labels below). All are small lots, ranging from 24 to 288 cases (1 to 10 barrels). The white wines were lightly filtered through bentonite, but the reds were either coarsely filtered or unfiltered. The larger production wines were meant to retail at $34.95, while the exceedingly small lots were set st $39.95. It was a very productive and instructive seminar, and we are thankful to Southbrook for showing off their Small Lot barrel program.

The Wines: There were three series of wines: 2 cabernet sauvignons, 8 cabernet francs (6 made with just one barrel each for 25 cases), and 5 chardonnays. All are VQA Four Mile Creek.

 

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Southbrook Estate Grown Small Lot Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2013, $34.95. 180 cases, rated 94.

-Southbrook Estate Grown Small Lot Chardonnay "Vosges" 2013, $34.95. 114 cases, rated 92.

-Southbrook Estate Grown Small Lot Chardonnay "Allier" 2013, $39.95. 62 cases, rated 94. Most Burgundian of the flight.

-Southbrook Estate Grown Small Lot Chardonnay "Jupilles" 2013, $39.95. 31 cases, rated 91.

-Southbrook Estate Grown Small Lot Moon Harvest Barrel Chardonnay "Boutes" 2013, $39.95. 31 cases [oak cut on the appropriate biodynamic moon day for wine storage and aging], rated 90.

 

-Southbrook Estate Grown Small Lot Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, $39.95. 100 cases, rated 94. [12% cabernet franc]

-Southbrook Estate Grown Small Lot Cabernet Sauvignon "Witness Block" 2013, $39.95. 175 cases, rated 92. [37% cabernet franc, 3% merlot]

 

-Southbrook Estate Grown Small Lot Cabernet Franc "201" 2013, $34.95. 144 cases, rated 91. [15% cabernet sauvignon] 75% new oak, a cut above "101"

-Southbrook Estate Grown Small Lot Cabernet Franc "Bertrange" 2013, $39.95. 25 cases, rated 92.

-Southbrook Estate Grown Small Lot Cabernet Franc "Radoux Revelation" 2013, $39.95. 25 cases, rated 93.

-Southbrook Estate Grown Small Lot Cabernet Franc "Missouri" 2013, $39.95. 25 cases, rated 91. [US oak]

 

 

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Southbrook Estate Grown Small Lot Cabernet Franc "101" 2013, $34.95. 275 cases, rated 90. [9% cabernet sauvignon] 9% new oak

-Southbrook Estate Grown Small Lot Cabernet Franc "Vosges Nadalie" 2013, $34.95. 288 cases, rated 90.

-Southbrook Estate Grown Small Lot Cabernet Franc "Moon Harvest Barrel Boutes" 2013, $39.95. 25 cases, rated 90.

-Southbrook Estate Grown Small Lot Cabernet Franc "Colbert" 2013, $39.95. 25 cases, rated 90.

 

The Contact Person: Paul@southbrook.com

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 96.

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com