Wine Review - 2008 Southbrook Vineyards Triomphe Cabernet Franc: So Good It Was Gone In a Flash
It is very late but we felt like we needed to get this review online so it will be briefer than it should be. We have some interesting history and connections to this winery which is near Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario. We had every intention of visiting and tasting at this winery when we were last in the area but we arrived too late and they had already closed. It was our loss. The Southbrook property and buildings are LEED Certified - and beautiful. Marilyn and Bill Riedelmeier are the owners and are strong proponents of bio-dynamic and organic grape production and winemaking. Chris had the pleasure of meeting Bill at this year's Atlantic Wine Symposium where Bill was a keynote speaker. Bill is an impressive guy who knows his stuff and this wine is the first one of theirs that we have been able to get our hands on. Julia and Dave, who are extended family graciously offered to bring us a bottle of wine that we could not normally get our hands on and this is what arrived with Dave. Many thanks!
In the glass this is a fairly dark which treads somewhere between ruby red and deep purple. We are leaning towards the purple end of the spectrum. Upon the swirl it is not an overly thick wine and cascades down the glass at a fairly normal pace. We like the colour and the body, so we call it a good looking wine.
One thing to note about this wine is that it is 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and it is that Cab Sauv that tames back the typical barnyard notes that we normally love to see in Niagara Wines. That is bad for us but probably a nice thing for most normal noses. There are cherries and blackberries in there as well as lots of allspice and clove notes. Overall, it is balanced with dark berry fruit and is not too hot....a winner.
The flavours in this wine are very familiar to us and very welcomed. It is a nicely balanced red with not too much acidity and a nice mouthfeel. Now to be fair, we would love 100% pure Cabernet Franc but since the Cab Sauv was thrown in there, we should say that the body of the wine is a little more acidic. Normally Cab Franc can have somewhat softer tannins, but the Cab Sauv is assertive. We like that, but if it had a touch more vegetal notes in there we would be over the moon for this wine (but that is just us). As it stands, it is a really nice wine with a lot of good things going on. We get notes of plum or cherries, with a hint of vanilla bean and cloves. Very nice. We feel like that fruit that slides in might come from the Cab Sauv as well and on that level makes for a nice balance. It probably shouldn't be all barnyard, all the time. This wine has a long finish which makes for a nice completion to the tasting. It is a well made wine.
In the glass this is a fairly dark which treads somewhere between ruby red and deep purple. We are leaning towards the purple end of the spectrum. Upon the swirl it is not an overly thick wine and cascades down the glass at a fairly normal pace. We like the colour and the body, so we call it a good looking wine.
One thing to note about this wine is that it is 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and it is that Cab Sauv that tames back the typical barnyard notes that we normally love to see in Niagara Wines. That is bad for us but probably a nice thing for most normal noses. There are cherries and blackberries in there as well as lots of allspice and clove notes. Overall, it is balanced with dark berry fruit and is not too hot....a winner.
The flavours in this wine are very familiar to us and very welcomed. It is a nicely balanced red with not too much acidity and a nice mouthfeel. Now to be fair, we would love 100% pure Cabernet Franc but since the Cab Sauv was thrown in there, we should say that the body of the wine is a little more acidic. Normally Cab Franc can have somewhat softer tannins, but the Cab Sauv is assertive. We like that, but if it had a touch more vegetal notes in there we would be over the moon for this wine (but that is just us). As it stands, it is a really nice wine with a lot of good things going on. We get notes of plum or cherries, with a hint of vanilla bean and cloves. Very nice. We feel like that fruit that slides in might come from the Cab Sauv as well and on that level makes for a nice balance. It probably shouldn't be all barnyard, all the time. This wine has a long finish which makes for a nice completion to the tasting. It is a well made wine.
| Tasting Notes: | Score: | |
| Sight (0-5) | Ruby red to purple wine with what we would consider a normal swirl. Nice looking wine. | 4.0 |
| Smell (0-5) | Some barnyard in the nose (not enough for us - but we digress) with dark berries and a hint of allspice and cloves. | 4.25 |
| Taste (0-10) | Solid tasting with lots of dark fruit and spices. It is a long finishing wine that some good balance, though a touch on the acidic side. | 8.25 |
| Total: | 16.5 / 20 (82.5%) |
At $20 this wine is perfectly priced and we would say that it is another fine example of a great wine made in Canada. Furthermore, it is fine to go out and find this wine at the local liquor store (if you are lucky enough to find it), but take our word for it that a visit to the winery is a must. It is a beautiful and modern property where great wines are made.
Just don't be like us and show up too late.
Keep on tasting!
Chris & Shannon
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