Ontario wine consumers in the know love Cabernet Franc, while it’s an unsung grape in much of the rest of the world, used primarily for blending; but here in Ontario we make plenty of Franc in the single varietal form. Winemaker Natalie Spytkowski has taken Franc to a whole new level with this single barrel offering from the Renaceau Vineyard (Rosewood’s own). This was a barrel Natalie pegged from day 90 in its evolution, that’s when, it is reported, “she drew a smiley face on the head of the barrel” – obviously she saw something special developing and wanted to keep track of it. Now, some 18 months later (12 in barrel – all brand new French - and 6 in bottle) we have the results, and let me say that her patience and foresight has been rewarded. I’m not one to give you a list of smells and flavours, but as I lingered over this wine, for about 10 minutes, here are just a few that I picked up: smoky, spicy, vanilla, tobacco, dark fruit nuances, more spice, more vanilla, black cherry, cherry-tobacco, lovely mouthfeel along with white pepper and dark cocoa on the finish. Whew, I know that had I lingered a little longer more would have been forthcoming because this was a new bottle and this wine is just a baby, it needs time to open and breathe to get it’s full effect … Finally, I shouldn’t forget to mention the smoked black cherry that lingers on the palate after swallowing. A grand total of only 50-60 cases were produced (the number depends on how much Natalie and the staff take home. Hopefully they’ll be some around come the release I was quoted (January 2011) – If I were you I’d see if I could get my hands on a few bottles early because this is a wine worth snapping up. Price: $30.00 – Rating: ****½