Wine Review - 2008 Jost Vineyards Cabernet Franc: Nova Scotia Cab Franc Take Two...

We visited the Jost Vineyard Tasting Room in Malagash, Nova Scotia recently and came away with a bottle of the 2008 Cabernet Franc.  If you have followed our Blog you will note that we have reviewed the 2005 version of this wine (see the review here). That wine was a really well made and respectable version of Cab Franc whatever the growing season the 2005 was a medium bodied wine with lots of flavour.  But, let's talk about 2008.

First thing's first, this wine is nice but the season for 2008 is a different beast altogether.  It is a slightly lighter wine and is a bit more tart and thin.  In the glass, it has some nice colour but it is a lighter wine that is somewhat reminiscent of Pinot Noir (though a little darker).  

The nose is very woody with a lot of sour or choke cherries in there.  It has a cocoa or burnt sugar element to it that adds a layer of complexity.  There is a little (just a little) barnyard in there but it is a very interesting nose that has a little edge to it.  Call it a cherry creme brulee with a lot of oak chips poured on top....mmmmmm.

The flavours are again reminiscent of other Cab Franc's we have had, though this time around there is a little more thinness and tartness in the wine.  It certainly has a cherry and almost chocolate flavour to it.  It is a nice Cool Climate red wine but we liked the 2005 better.

	Tasting Notes:	Score:
Sight (0-5)	Lighter bodied wine almost a slightly darker Pinot Noir style of wine and even a little murky.  The wine looked nice but in comparison to the 2005 vintage was not quite as nice looking.	3.5
Smell (0-5)	The tartness and sweetness hits you right away with oak and cherries going on for days.  There is only a hint of the barnyard that we typically love and it would be nice to see a little more of that elegance in the wine.	4.0
Taste (0-10)	Cherries are the dominant fruit and if the body was a little fuller it would be a brighter and luscious wine.	8.0
	Total:	15.5 / 20 (77.5%)

This is a nice wine which has a lot going for it.  At $20 it is a touch on the pricey side but for a nice local red wine it certainly will keep us coming back for more.

Keep on tasting!

Chris & Shannon