Christmas has come early at Colio … this is a magnificent offering from this Lake Erie North Shore Winery, lots of bright red fruit, cinnamon and vanilla on the nose. Before I go further let me tell you this wine rested for 18 months in French and Hungarian oak (with a minimal amount of American wood thrown in). Back to the wine review: silky rich tannins envelop the blackberries and oakiness that are still quite prevalent … and is this wine ever smooth going through the mouth. Let’s pause again for this sidebar: the fruit was naturally thinned to 2 tonnes per acre “we had nothing to do with that” Tim Reilly, winemaker, told me, “it was all Mother Nature’s decision.” And now, the finale: Wait for it … the finish is unmistakable: cherries and chocolate … oooo mama what a tasty little sucker this is. And there should be some good ageing potential here, say about 7 years or more. What’s more, this is the baby – the CEV Merlot and Franc show even better … can’t wait.