This estate Merlot was hand harvested, destemmed and lightly crushed before it was wild fermented and aged in French oak barrels for 17 months before it was bottled unfiltered and unfined. The nose shows savoury red berries, cassis, plums, subtle earthy notes and elegant spices. The nose is a riot of brambly red berries, cassis, plums, underlying loamy/earthy notes, anise and fine oak spices. It’s nicely integrated right now with still evident tannins, full-on red berry fruits, cassis, anise, dried tobacco and integrated oak spices. Can cellar to 2032.Tony Aspler, Merlot 2021, (89-90 Points) Deep purple in colour; toasty, spicy nose of plum with a light floral note; medium-bodied, dry with plum and toasty oak flavours. Lovely mouth feel. Firmly structured. (Tasted December 2024)
Treve Ring, Gismondi on Wine, (90 Points) Established by vintner Taylor Emerson in 2017, Black Bank Hill is focused on single vineyard wines from the Niagara Escarpment. This is from their estate Lincoln Lakeshore vineyard, clone 343, destemmed and lightly crushed before a native ferment and 17 months in mostly neutral French oak. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Fragrant plum, dusty black cherry, black tea is textured with crushed stones in this lighter bodied merlot, framed with lightly fuzzy tannins. Nice fresher, brighter, authentic style. (tasted February, 2025)
Rick Vansickle, Wines in Niagara (92 Points) This estate Merlot was hand harvested, destemmed and lightly crushed before it was wild fermented and aged in French oak barrels for 17 months before it was bottled unfiltered and unfined. The nose shows savoury red berries, cassis, plums, subtle earthy notes and elegant spices. The nose is a riot of brambly red berries, cassis, plums, underlying loamy/earthy notes, anise and fine oak spices. It’s nicely integrated right now with still evident tannins, full-on red berry fruits, cassis, anise, dried tobacco and integrated oak spices. Can cellar to 2032. (Tasted March, 2025)
