"An appealing cab franc icewine, with a sweet red berry core. Alert aromas of strawberry and raspberry, with floral and rhubarb nuances. Good weight and acidity balance with a red fruit finish that impresses. Score 90."
Jeff Davis
Wine Access
Vintage & Viticulture
The winter of 2008 came early with our first snowfall in November. Colder temperatures arrived in December with a window for picking Icewine on Sunday December 9th beginning at midnight. It was a great opportunity to harvest our vinifera Icewine grapes which are much more tender and delicate as compared with the thicker skinned Vidal grapes. This lot of 100 percent Cabernet Franc was harvested from a two acre vineyard block planted in 1982 on our 125 acre estate. A total of eight tonnes were harvested with almost 41˚Brix of sugar in average picking temperatures of -10°C. High Pressure Vertical Basket Presses imported from Italy were used to maximize the extract from the berries.
Winemaker's Notes:
The juice pressed from extremely clean fruit underwent temperature-controlled fermentation (less than 15 degrees C), using selected yeast for cold slow fermenting. Fermentation lasted for seven months in stainless steel tanks to highlight the complexity of berry fruit characteristics native to Cabernet Franc.
Tasting Notes:
With light, garnet coloured hues, this wine is as appealing to the eye as it is to the palate. Aromas of sweet candied berries meet the nose and are followed by ripe, red raspberry and strawberry flavours. An elegant fresh finish highlights this wines balance of acidity and sugar levels.
Food Pairings:
Perfect on its own or pair with chocolate dipped strawberries.
Shipping charges in Ontario are $30.00 per 12 bottles (case). Reif Estate online orders are available to Ontario addresses only. You must be 19 or older to order and must be available to sign for your order with proper identification. Wine cannot legally be left without a signature, therefore we strongly recommend delivery to a work address. If you are for any reason dissatisfied with one of our products, please contact us. For orders outside of Ontario please contact the winery at orders [at] reifwinery.com.