Tasting Note Canada in general is not cabernet sauvignon country. But a very good vintage in Canada’s most southerly appellation (42 degrees) has delivered everything I like about this grape: fragrance, blackcurrant, fresh herbs, stemmy greens and that certain sinew and toughness. That this earned a gold medal at the 2025 National Wine Awards means others saw the light as well. It is much more Bordeaux-oriented than California or even Chile. The colour is deep youthful purple-ruby. The nose is solid blackcurrant with nettle, oregano, pepper and background oak spice. It is medium-full bodied (13.6% abv), firm with gritty, starchy but not austere tannin. The length is excellent. It should age nicely; best 2028 to 2033.

Backgrounder Lake Erie North Shore sits at the same 42 degrees latitude as Rome, northern Spain and the California-Oregon border. The longer growing season and often tepid, humid summers make full ripening of cabernet sauvignon possible. The Muscedere brothers Roberto and Fabio began planting on their large family property near Kingsville in 2003, adding mostly red varieties right up until 2009 (nebbiolo and barbera), for a total of 13 acres. But they clearly found their niche with Bordeaux red varieties. This small-lot (125 cases) cabernet sauvignon was aged for 18 months in French oak barriques. Seven members of the Muscedere family occupy every position within the winery. 

Accolades: Gold, WineAlign National Wine Awards 2025.