Icewine Red, Stratus Vineyards 2008

"A blend of Cabernet Franc, Cab Sauv, and Syrah. Very pretty, candied strawberry and raspberry, high-toned violets on the nose. This is an excellent example; one of the best red icewines I've come across, without the concentrated bell pepper essence that often characterizes icewines made as a last resort when fruit didn't ripen sufficiently to make table wine. Long finish. Well balanced. Superb."

95 points - John Szabo, Wine Access

Harvested during the night at temperatures between -10° and -12°C. Juice from the frozen berries was slowly removed using a traditional wooden basket press to extract the most color possible, then settled in stainless steel tanks. The juice was fermented at cool temperatures using selected yeast to retain volatile aromatics. After a short aging period in stainless steel, the wine was settled, filtered, and bottled by gravity.

About Stratus Vineyards

A sixty two-acre site in the Niagara Lakeshore sub-appellation moderated by both Lake Ontario and the Niagara River. Eighteen vinifera varieties planted in forty-three blocs on a combination of clay and clay loam soils, over a dolomitic limestone bedrock. Rigorous viticultural practices result in minimal yields of fully mature fruit.