Kacaba Vineyards Proprietor's Block Syrah 2013 Wine Review

Kacaba Vineyards Proprietor's Block Syrah 2013

Niagara Escarpment, Ontario VQA, Canada

Community Score:90/100

Community Reviews: 3

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Price: $29.95

Drink: 2016-2020

Bottle size: 750 ml

Alcohol: 13%

Sweetness: Dry

Wine Type: Red Wine

Winery: Kacaba Vineyards

Agent: Kacaba

Natalie's Score: 89/100

Peppery with fleshy ripe black plums. Smooth, supple and full-bodied. Pair with grilled lamb.

Syrah food pairings: barbecue meats, steak au poivre, roast beef.

This Kacaba Vineyards Proprietor's Block Syrah 2013 was reviewed on June 5, 2016 by Natalie MacLean

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Reviews and Ratings

Douglas McMillan rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

This is pretty impressive for an Ontario red. We don't always have the best summers for red wine, but this sure gets it right. The aromas are plum, dark chocolate, and black pepper up from with lots of secondaries, including cinnamon, sweet red cherry, vanilla, and cloves. Complex and nicely balanced. The mouth-feel is silky , with medium+ acidity, and the taste is black cherry and raspberry, with a little bit of the spices coming through as well.

Tasting Notes
Very fruit driven with Maraschino cherry and candied strawberry with a backdrop of cracked black pepper on the nose. The palate has vibrant acid making this wine rather juicy with enough tannin to balance the lingering finish. Strawberry and redcurrant with some dried herb notes carry through on the palate.

Winemakers notes
The Proprietors block Syrah consists of the youngest Syrah planted on the Kacaba these vines were planted in 2007 along with a block of Viognier. This property is also the furthest west on the Kacaba property planted on a section of flat land next to our ravine and Bailey bridge. We also note that this block of grapes on our property has some unique traits not seen in the rest of our vineyard. The soil does have higher loam content and has less elevation variance as opposed to the rest of the vineyard. This results in a block that sometimes ripens earlier than the rest of the vineyard. The first crop was harvested in 2010 and proved to show a very unique personality and character. For 2013 the decision was made to bottle the proprietors block on its own.

As a vintage 2013 did show some challenges, particularly when achieving full sugar levels in Syrah. The cooler conditions during July and August along with heavier than average rain through September meant that what is typically seen for syrah in Niagara may not normally be encountered. Rather; the acid levels and tannin are accentuated and the spice component becomes rather obvious. Lighter barrel aging in newer oak and traditional French yeast strains make for a more medium bodied style of wine that is very approachable.

Syrah, in many people’s opinion, is not necessarily a good fit for Niagara. Rather, with proper selection of vineyard and clone, great things can be achieved with this grape. Combine optimal sites and clones with careful vineyard management and watchful wine making techniques make for very fine Syrah in Niagara.

Source: Winery (Kacaba Vineyards)

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Kacaba Vineyards Proprietor's Block Syrah 2013 Wine Review

Natalie's Score: 89/100