WTN: 2005 Peller Estate Baco Noir (Ontario VQA)

12.5% alc. Dark but clear cherry-garnet colour that's uniform from the core right to the meniscus. Legs form very readily with swirling. Complex nose of brackish cherry fruit, coconut/vanillin oak and a leafy/peppercorn note; also a bit of volatility. Brightly acidic on the entry with a tart but soft mouthfeel; warming and nicely balanced with expansive warmth towards the finish and flavours that carry over from the nose. Tart and cleansing toward the finish with strong, round acidity and just a hint of tannin on the tip of the tongue. Very much a wine to drink with heavy/greasy foods, as it cleanses and invigorates the palate. Oak lingers on the finish.

2005 was a year of high heat accumulation in Ontario, yet this Baco doesn't show the sort of purple-ink staining character or any charred-buckwheat/torrefazione aromas that are so common in hybrid reds from hot vintages. I suspect this is because tonnage was allowed to remain higher than would be the case for a premium bottling. That said, it remains a perfectly good everyday Baco that's widely available as a general-list LCBO item. Expect it to evolve in the open bottle and be more integrated on the second day.

Amazing. I only had to look at the subject line to know who would be posting this note.

Thanks Paul.

Me too!!! Paul B has reminded me to think BN again.

Guys, glad that you think of me as the "go to" Baco guy ... Frankly, I wish that I could report on so many other hybrids too but our selection in Ontario in red hybrids is rather limited to Baco (most common), Foch (much less common at the LCBO than about 5 years ago), and the very rare Chambourcin (wineries-only). Chelois, De Chaunac, Chancellor, Rougeon, Frontenac - none of these are on the scene.

Baco often has a fantastic nose, but it takes a skilled vineyardist/winemaker to make a great Baco. I've had great Baco in the past, but I've also had some really poor examples too - ones with shrill acidity and an overall sourness. The most balanced Baco I ever remember having was made by Stoney Ridge around 2000. As with so many good things, it was later discontinued and the Baco they made subsequently was nowhere near as fine.

I'll add that lthough hybrids are often viewed by cynical businesspeople as vines whose productive capabilities must simply be maxed out for maximum yield and gain, this avenue is antithetical to quality. I have always believed that the high-yielding characteristic of hybrid vines must never be leveraged as a matter of course; rather, it should be counted on when late spring freezes hit and primary growth is killed: you then can rely on the productive capabilites of the hybrid to still produce a crop. Never, in my opinion, should hybrids be grown for maximum production just because they can be - this doesn't do anything for quality.

The next day after writing my note on this wine, I put the remainder of the wine in the fridge as I knew I wouldn't be able to have any for a few days. Interestingly, this time in the fridge has seen the wine evolve considerably - for the better. Tonight I had some more, and the wine is a very different creature compared to last Sunday.

Now the colour has deepened and the wine has become completely opaque. With a few days in the fridge, hybrid reds - especially Baco and Foch - will do this with regularity. Frankly, I don't know why ... but it does happen. Sweet oak now mingles quite seamlessly with earthy cherry fruit and a chocolatey note from the oak. The wine is quite pretty in the glass with its cherry-black opaque core and long, persistent, slender tears. The tannin has also turned more fine-grained velvety, providing a velour-like sensation on the tip of the tongue. This tastes pretty good chilled too - I can see this wine making for a flavourful match with grilled meat on a hot summer's day given its bright acidity and dryness.

In short, I'll say this: Even if you don't plan on chilling your quality hybrid reds in the fridge for a couple of days, do give them a day or two of aeration - decanting - when young; the oak, if present, will integrate nicely and the wine will certainly flesh out overall.

Paul B, I had the good luck to find the new vintage of Henry of Pelham BN, the `05. It was being tasted downtown today. Though the finish a tad short but all else up to par. Maybe bottle shock?