I've mused on occasion about how I feel that Marechal Foch produces more balanced reds in Ontario, on average, than Baco Noir. This is not to say that Baco isn't capable of balance - it is - but stringent viticultural management is utterly indispensable to taming the Baco beast's acidity. And such management has not come through in every Ontario Baco that I've tasted over the years.
With Marechal Foch, though, I come across a clear majority of wines that have excellent acid/tannin balance, and this is the case with the '03 Foch from Thomas & Vaughan Estate that I bought at the Estate in Beamsville.
12.3% alc. Gorgeous, intense black-scarlet hue with deep saturation - nearly opaque - and a very dark black-cherry hue at the meniscus. Quite gamey and peppercorny at first upon opening, though the balance was immediately evident on the palate even then. Given half a day in the open bottle, though, the wild aromas settle down to reveal a nose of game and pencil shavings surrounded by redcurrant fruit. Excellent, tart acidity, but no sourness; lithe, balanced tartness on the mid-palate, fully dry with excellent flavour replays on the mid-palate, fine-grained tannins and a warm, expansive, dusty finish. High-quality pencil-shavings-oak nuances on the finish. Beautifully cleansing; a true table wine and stylistically proper due to its admirable dryness.
This red will certainly go with anything at the table, and if a vinifera comparison be made, it is similar to a Northern Italian red in that the acidity determines the structure more than the tannin.
I really enjoyed the wine alongside New Zealand lamb chops done in a skillet and served with my homemade rosemary/juniper balsamic reduction sauce.