Quite a quartet set of wines, just released by Chateau des Charmes (at winery and online) --
CHATEAU DE CHARMES EQUULEUS 2020 Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard, VQA St. David's Bench. +319525, $60 at winery and online: made from a traditional blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Cabernet Franc (25%) and Merlot (25%), but only made in good years (earlier vintages had all three grapes at varying levels such as, at one time, 53% cab sauv/34% cab franc/13% merlot and other blends; all was dependent on the harvest). The last vintage I tasted was 2010. The 2020 spent 16 months in small French oak, with each variety aged separately. After blending it is aged further in French oak casks for several months. Tons of concentrated Bordeaux flavours, all the dark black berries and mocha, but some years away from mellowing well. It's a Meritage wine in that Bordeaux-style blend, with plenty of black fruit and some smoke. Cellar this wine another 5 years, or else do a double decant (maybe even more) to accelerate the aging process. Tasted over a number of days – and it kept getting better. A good meaty wine for strong-flavoured grilled meats. Residual sugar 0.4 g/L. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 94 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
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CHATEAU DES CHARMES CABERNET FRANC 2020 St. David's Bench Vineyard, VQA St. David's Bench, +453415 $44.95 at winery and online: it has been some years since I last tasted their St. David's Bench Cabernet Franc; they have a continual winner of a brooding wine that could have been diverted to Equuleus. It has some over-the-top full-bodied black spicy fruit while still retaining some cranberries and bell peppers, slightly augmented with a herby edge of pine/cedar/tobacco leaf tones. Aged for a year in 1 – 2 year-old toasted French oak. Sip as a meditative drink or with red meat/cheese (the winery suggests any herb-encrusted meats). Cork closure. I opened my bottle and did a double-decant followed by several days of open bottle sampling. Residual sugar at 0.5 g/L. 12% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
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CHATEAU DES CHARMES CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 St. David's Bench Vineyard, VQA St. David's Bench, +935957 $44.95 at winery and online: this is the only single variety Cabernet Sauvignon that Chateau des Charmes makes, and not every year. Aged in small 1 – 2 year old French oak for 12 months. Loaded with dark choco-berry and mocha tones, and smooth all over, good balance between fruit-acid-wood. Ready now but will benefit from a cellaring of up to five years. This is Bordeaux quality as a food wine – upfront cassis, tobacco leaf, mocha. Should be great with shanks (lamb, veal, pork, drumsticks) or oxtail, even necks or cheeks. Residual sugar at 0.3 g/L. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
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CHATEAU DES CHARMES MERLOT 2020 St David's Bench Vineyard, VQA St David's Bench, +453431, $44.95 at winery and online: made only in the best years, 2012 was the last vintage I had tasted. Rich and ripe cassis, cherry, cedar tones from one year barrel aging in French oak. As is typical with Merlot, you'll get a velvet soft finish with enjoyable finishing tannins. Give it two or more years, or do double-decanting. Residual sugar at 0.5 g/L. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
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CHATEAU DE CHARMES EQUULEUS 2020 Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard, VQA St. David's Bench. +319525, $60 at winery and online: made from a traditional blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Cabernet Franc (25%) and Merlot (25%), but only made in good years (earlier vintages had all three grapes at varying levels such as, at one time, 53% cab sauv/34% cab franc/13% merlot and other blends; all was dependent on the harvest). The last vintage I tasted was 2010. The 2020 spent 16 months in small French oak, with each variety aged separately. After blending it is aged further in French oak casks for several months. Tons of concentrated Bordeaux flavours, all the dark black berries and mocha, but some years away from mellowing well. It's a Meritage wine in that Bordeaux-style blend, with plenty of black fruit and some smoke. Cellar this wine another 5 years, or else do a double decant (maybe even more) to accelerate the aging process. Tasted over a number of days – and it kept getting better. A good meaty wine for strong-flavoured grilled meats. Residual sugar 0.4 g/L. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 94 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
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CHATEAU DES CHARMES CABERNET FRANC 2020 St. David's Bench Vineyard, VQA St. David's Bench, +453415 $44.95 at winery and online: it has been some years since I last tasted their St. David's Bench Cabernet Franc; they have a continual winner of a brooding wine that could have been diverted to Equuleus. It has some over-the-top full-bodied black spicy fruit while still retaining some cranberries and bell peppers, slightly augmented with a herby edge of pine/cedar/tobacco leaf tones. Aged for a year in 1 – 2 year-old toasted French oak. Sip as a meditative drink or with red meat/cheese (the winery suggests any herb-encrusted meats). Cork closure. I opened my bottle and did a double-decant followed by several days of open bottle sampling. Residual sugar at 0.5 g/L. 12% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
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CHATEAU DES CHARMES CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 St. David's Bench Vineyard, VQA St. David's Bench, +935957 $44.95 at winery and online: this is the only single variety Cabernet Sauvignon that Chateau des Charmes makes, and not every year. Aged in small 1 – 2 year old French oak for 12 months. Loaded with dark choco-berry and mocha tones, and smooth all over, good balance between fruit-acid-wood. Ready now but will benefit from a cellaring of up to five years. This is Bordeaux quality as a food wine – upfront cassis, tobacco leaf, mocha. Should be great with shanks (lamb, veal, pork, drumsticks) or oxtail, even necks or cheeks. Residual sugar at 0.3 g/L. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
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CHATEAU DES CHARMES MERLOT 2020 St David's Bench Vineyard, VQA St David's Bench, +453431, $44.95 at winery and online: made only in the best years, 2012 was the last vintage I had tasted. Rich and ripe cassis, cherry, cedar tones from one year barrel aging in French oak. As is typical with Merlot, you'll get a velvet soft finish with enjoyable finishing tannins. Give it two or more years, or do double-decanting. Residual sugar at 0.5 g/L. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
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Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism
Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
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http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
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