Icellars Estate Winery Icel Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Jon Steeves rated this wine as 92/100 with the following review:

Bright ruby red. Brilliant on the palate as well. Medium plus fine tannins. Mocha, plum, clove, raspberry, underbrush. Complex. Full bodied ,medium plus acidity, medium plus alcohol (14.7% declared) but not at all boozy. Paired well with gourmet AAA beef fiesta burgers. Decanted 2h. Tasted 2016 vintage in July 2018. 92 points

Daniel O'Keefe rated this wine as 94/100 with the following review:

Grapes from the Icel Vineyard were hand-harvested and double sorted on November 17th at an astounding 26.2 Brix. Destemmed, lightly crushed, and cold soaked for seven days with punch downs thrice daily. A 14-day fermentation followed with punch downs once daily. Drained and pressed, settled for two days, then transferred to premium French oak barrels, half new and half seasoned. 12 months of aging with several rackings followed. A final blend of 10 barrels accounting for 250 cases was bottled.

The new standard for Cabernet Sauvignon in Niagara, the yard stick by which every varietal example originating in the Peninsula will be measured against moving forward. Young, it takes some breathing to coax out the bouquet. Leads with graham cracker, vanilla, oak spice, and toasty cocoa. Then in comes the blackcurrant, cassis, blackberry, black cherry, violets, tobacco, and eucalyptus. Massive mouth-coating tannins, built like a Barolo or Vintage Port, but so fine-grained and smooth that while pairing a protein is a recommendation, it is not a necessity. Impressively balanced, not an easy feat given the enormous proportions of tannin, alcohol (14.7% ABV), and acidity. The ripeness of Napa meets the complexity of Coonawarra, blended together in the perfect balance of power and poise in a way that only an extended hangtime in a cool climate could achieve. Decant for a few hours before a dinner including prime rib, ribeye steaks, or top sirloin, on the rarer side. Enjoy 2018 through 2026+.

Matt Steeves rated this wine as 93/100 with the following review:

2016 was the warmest vintage ever recorded in Niagara, which resulted in the grapes at Icellars' Icel Vineyard being able to hang on the vines until November 17 and be picked at 26.2 brix with full phenolic and flavour ripeness and great acidic structure. Icellars Cabernet Sauvignon is a great example of the well structured, fully ripe and refreshing red wines that Ontario is capable of producing. The 2016 Cabernet is a deep ruby red showing black plum, raspberry, mocha, clove, pepper, sous bois, cedar and a touch of graphite on the nose. Dry with generous fine tannins, it appears to have a slightly more linear and fresh profile than 2015, and at 14.7% ABV, it shows the balance the winemaker was able to achieve with such perfectly ripened quality fruit. Plum, spice, and tangy dark berries on the finish. A fine wine to enjoy now and over the next decade. Allow it to open up with a few hour decant and savour it with practically anything you'd like! 250 cases produced. Tasted April 2018. 93 points. Matt Steeves - www.quercusvino.ca