Rosewood Estates Winery’s 2016 Cabernet Franc Renaceau Vineyard is a classic Cabernet Franc that shines when paired with food…
Name: Cabernet Franc Renaceau Vineyard
Vintage: 2016
Producer: Rosewood Estates Winery
Region/Country: Beamsville Bench, Niagara, Ontario, Canada
Grape Varietal(s): Cabernet Franc
Alcohol Level: 14%
Consumed: At home
Recommended By: Discovered it at LIV Restaurant at the White Oaks Conference Resort and Spa then purchased the bottle at the winery (great staff and great place!).
Cost: $40 CAD (at the winery)
For the more detailed wine review, read on…
Bottle Presentation
Classy. We appreciate the contrast of the black writing on the white background. The bee at the top makes sense if you know Rosewood also produces honey and mead (which are delicious, by the way).
Appearance
Medium ruby.
Nose
Clean, pronounced intensity nose, with notes of red cherry, raspberry, strawberries, black pepper, leather, blackcurrant leaf, cedar, capsicum (green pepper), vanilla, fennel, cigar box, cloves, and cinnamon. Given the emerging tertiary notes, we would consider this a developing wine.
Palate
Dry, medium(+) body, with high acidity, medium(+), drying tannins, and high alcohol (14% abv.). The wine had a pronounced flavour intensity with notes of black pepper, black tea leaf, sour red cherries, sour raspberries, blackberries, cassis, tomato leaf, fennel, capsicum (green pepper), ink, graphite, dark chocolate.
Finish
Medium(+) finish. Saying that, leafy and somewhat bitter notes lingered for quite a long time.
Overall Impressions
Rosewood Estates Winery’s 2016 Cabernet Franc Renaceau Vineyard is a classic Cabernet Franc with its capsicum/green pepper notes. Though the alcohol is noticeable and not as integrated as it could be, the intensity and length are very good, as is the complexity (the aromas and flavour profiles). Overall, we would consider this a good wine on its own. With a proper food pairing, it shined.
We poured the Rosewood Cabernet Franc Renaceau Vineyard during our Friday night pizza evening: a prosciutto-pear-goat cheese-balsamic vinegar reduction white pizza and a honey and goat cheese Margherita pizza. Both pizzas brought out the wine’s fruitiness and mellowed out the greenness, making the wine highly enjoyable to drink.
To us, the 2016 Rosewood Cabernet Franc Renaceau Vineyard is a wine meant to be enjoyed with food. Our pizzas showed you can drink the 2016 offering now. Given the black pepper and higher levels of tannins, we also recommend trying the wine with a grilled steak with peppercorn sauce. We actually paired a prior vintage of this wine with a filet mignon and peppercorn sauce, and it was nothing short of outstanding.
In terms of development, this single varietal red is starting to evolve. The colour is on the verge of garnet, as opposed to ruby, and some tertiary notes, especially the aromas on the nose, are emerging (leather and cigar box). So you can certainly enjoy this wine now or you could cellar it for a couple more years. We can’t wait to taste it again in the latter end of the drinking window.
Ratings
Overall Rating: 90/100.
E-Wine rating: 4/5. We did purchase a couple of bottles of 2016 Rosewood Cabernet Franc Renaceau Vineyard, one to enjoy now and one to enjoy in a couple of years.
Value: 3.5/5. Good value.