With the amount of grapes Cattail controls I'm surprised a Small Lot Series didn't come sooner. Fellow writer and Franc enthusiast Andre Proulx pointed me to this wine saying it was the "best Ontario Franc he's ever had" ... a little hyperbole on his part, but a statement like that goes a long way. While I do agree it was quite a good Franc I would not go to his level, but again it is a very good Franc. This is a 4-barrel selection, which made a total of 86 cases. Nose is cassis, with smoky and slight tobacco notes all with a vanilla bean caress. Palate keeps all these notes intact: smoky, vanilla, tobacco then adds black cherry and raspberry to the mix allowing the tannins and acidity to add their chorus into the cacophony for balance. Potentially the best Franc I've tasted from Cattail Creek, if that's what Andre meant then I am in total agreement. Price: $29.95 - Rating: ****+