Westcott Vineyards, 'Butlers Grant' Cabernet Franc 2019

Grant and Carolyn are excited about the promise their wines are showing and strive to improve every year, constantly growing and listening - to the earth, the grapes, and their customers. They are at 3180 17th Street, in Jordan Station, waiting for you to join them and share a glass of wine. They continued their study of cool climate viticulture and were fortunate to have their son, Garett Westcott, join them in the vineyard and Alain Sutre guide their viticulture practices the next year. Construction on the main building (which features a reclaimed 200-year old timber frame and foundation from a barn several kilometers away) began in the fall of 2013. The tasting room was opened in July 2014 and their daughter, Victoria Westcott, joined the team to lead the customer experience.

This Cabernet Franc is the inaugural vintage from the 30-year-old Butlers' Grant Vineyard. It was aged for 22 months in barrel with 33% new oak, the remainder older barrels. Only three barrels were made. The 2019 and 2020 vintages are vastly different and which one you prefer will depend on what you look for in this stellar Niagara grape. The grapes were planted in 1988 in a cooler part of the vineyard that, maybe in hindsight, wasn't the best decision again, depending on the style of CF you enjoy. Cooler vintages will yield more herbaceous, leafy notes, while warmer vintages are more focussed on the red and dark berries and less overt savoury notes. The 2019 version has a nose of brambly red raspberries, fresh herbs and eucalypt, a touch of cassis, and integrated spices. There is a subtle reductive note on the palate with underlying herbs, savoury red berries, plums, earth, a pinch of spice and a tangy, fresh finish.