The Inniskillin 2007 Cabernet Franc is a red ice wine, something of a rare breed of ice wine around my parts. It’s fairly easy to find many white ice wines but a red wine is definitely something neat and new. This Cabernet Franc pours much like a dark cranberry juice with a semi-translucent rich clean look.
The nose of this 2007 Cabernet Franc is that of sweet cranberry fruit cocktail much like the color but continues with smooth pear flavors and sweet red delicious apple slices topped with granny smith apple skins. If you can imagine a bowl full of those fruits you’d probably be spot on with the bouquet of the 2007 Inniskillin Cabernet Franc Ice Wine.
Sipping the ice wine gives an initial burst of pear sweetness with a light apple attack. The mid-palate transition is a creamy semi-sweet pear which brings your palate to a slightly dry fruity apple finish. However, most of the sour bite from the tannins is rounded down by the smooth textures and sweet fruits.
The finish is long and fruity with dancing pears and apples with a smooth gentle viscosity that forces you to take yet another sip. Luckily, the 375ml bottle is only 9.5% ABV, so you’ll be able to take many long seductive sips without fear of overwhelming your senses with alcohol.
Like most ice wines, this wine would go great as an after dinner drink. Most folks will find the slight sour tannins at the tail end of the taste to be intriguing for an ice wine. However, the flavors and fruits come at a price of USD $90.00 for the 375ml bottle because Cabernet Franc is a rare ice wine, having to survive the freezing temperature of winter.
Rare wines are some of the most enjoyable to experience. I feel special being able to say I had a bottle.
No Comments