Inniskillin Niagra Estate Cabernet Franc Icewine 2022
Grapes for the Inniskillin Cabernet Franc Icewine are hand-harvested from selected vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake. This part of the Niagara Peninsula is considered a cool-climate viticulture region and the mineral-rich soils are the result of melting glaciers that left behind large and varied deposits of gravel, sand and clay, as they receded approximately 13,000 years ago. Thanks to the warming influence of Lake Ontario and the Niagara River, the region's temperatures during the fruit ripening phase are moderate and consistent. The grapes are picked at a freezing cold -10ºC and then pressed immediately, removing the ice crystals to leave a small amount of highly concentrated juice. There is an abundance of ripe red fruit aromas including strawberry, raspberry and rhubarb that dominate on the nose, while the concentrated red fruits also show through on the palate. This decadent Icewine boasts perfectly balanced sweetness and acidity on a long, lingering finish.
