Full Review

Peller Estates

Peller Estates
2020 Family Reserve Cabernet Merlot, Niagara Peninsula VQA

Pair this wine with:
Beef Vegetables

Category: Bordeaux Red Varietal Blend

Date Tasted:
Country: Canada
Alcohol: 13% RS: 0.65%
94 Points
Gold Medal
Exceptional
$10
Best Buy

Peller Estates
2020 Family Reserve Cabernet Merlot, Niagara Peninsula VQA

Pair this wine with:
Beef Vegetables

Category: Bordeaux Red Varietal Blend

Date Tasted:
Country: Canada
Alcohol: 13% RS: 0.65%
Ruby black color. Aromas and flavors of grilled and pickled peppers, smoked nuts, and craisin with a silky, bright, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a graceful, stimulating, medium-long finish imparting nuances of cinnamon blueberry tart, vanilla cream, cedar, and oolong with drying, dusty tannins and moderate oak flavor. A delightful, oak-accented red blend tailor-made for a meaty meal.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: Fruity, Juicy & Smooth, New World & Oaky
Aroma Aroma: grilled and pickled peppers, smoked nuts, and craisin
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with nuances of cinnamon blueberry tart, vanilla cream, cedar, and oolong
Sweetness Sweetness: Dry-yet-Fruity
Enjoy Enjoy: Now-3 years with food and on its own
Recipes Pairing: Pot Roast, Steak & Potatoes, Beef Stew
Bottom Line Bottom Line: A delightful, oak-accented red blend tailor-made for a meaty meal.

The Producer

Andrew Peller LTD.

The Producer
697 South Service Road
Grimsby, ON L3M 4E8
Canada
1 905-643-4131

Their Portfolio

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94 Ama Bene NV Sangiovese, Puglia IGT 13% (Italy) $11.00.
92 Avenue 2022 Sauvignon Blanc 12.5% (France) $13.00.
88 Avenue 2022 Syrah Grenache Red Blend 14.5% (France) $13.00.
87 Good Natured 2020 Fresh White Blend, Ontario 12% (Canada) $10.00.
94 Good Natured 2020 Balanced Red Blend, Niagara Peninsula VQA 13% (Canada) $10.00.
89 Good Natured 2020 Cabernet Merlot Red Blend, Niagara Peninsula VQA 13% (Canada) $10.00.
91 Good Natured 2021 Rosé, Niagara Peninsula VQA 12% (Canada) $10.00.
90 Good Natured 2021 Balanced Red Blend, British Columbia 14.5% (Canada) $11.00.
BR Good Natured 2021 Merlot + Petit Verdot Red Blend, Okanagan Valley 14.4% (Canada) $11.00. - Bronze Medal
85 Good Natured 2021 Crisp, Chardonnay, Ontario 13% (Canada) $10.00.
88 Good Natured 2021 Merlot Gamay Noir Red Blend, Ontario 13% (Canada) $10.00.
93 Natural Selection NV Dangerously Good, Chardonnay, Australia 12.5% (Australia) $9.00.
87 Natural Selection NV Dangerously Good, Shiraz, Australia 13% (Australia) $9.00.
87 Neon Coast 2022 Chardonnay, California 13% (USA) $13.00.
86 Neon Coast 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, California 13% (USA) $13.00.
89 No Boats On Sunday Ontario Hopped Cider 5% (Canada) $3.00.
87 No Boats On Sunday BC Original Cider 5% (Canada) $10.00.
87 No Boats On Sunday NS Cider 5.3% (Canada) $3.00.
95 Peller Estates 2021 Family Reserve, Sauvignon Blanc, Niagara Peninsula VQA 12.4% (Canada) $10.00.
94 Peller Estates 2020 Family Reserve Cabernet Merlot, Niagara Peninsula VQA 13% (Canada) $10.00.
95 Peller Estates 2020 Family Reserve, Merlot, Niagara Peninsula VQA 13.5% (Canada) $10.00.
86 Peller Estates 2020 Family Reserve Winemaker’s Red Blend, Niagara Peninsula VQA 13% (Canada) $10.00.
92 Peller Estates 2021 Family Reserve, Riesling, Niagara Peninsula VQA 11% (Canada) $14.00.
87 Peller Estates 2021 Family Reserve, Pinot Grigio, Niagara Peninsula VQA 12.5% (Canada) $9.00.
87 Peller Estates 2021 Family Reserve, Chardonnay, Ontario 13% (Canada) $9.00.
94 Peller Estates 2021 Family Reserve Rosé, Niagara Peninsula VQA 12% (Canada) $9.00.
92 Peller Estates 2021 Family Reserve Double Noir Red Blend, Ontario 12.4% (Canada) $9.00.
87 Peller Estates 2021 Family Reserve Rosé Bubbles, Ontario 12.5% (Canada) $11.00.
87 Peller Estates 2021 Family Reserve Cabernet Merlot, Ontario 13% (Canada) $9.00.
92 Peller Estates 2021 Family Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, Ontario 13% (Canada) $9.00.
92 Peller Estates NV Signature Series Ice Cuvee Classic, Niagara Peninsula VQA 12% (Canada) $26.00.
93 Peller Estates NV Ice Cuvee Rose, Niagara Peninsula VQA 12% (Canada) $27.00.
86 Peller Estates 2021 Family Reserve Rosé Bubbles, Ontario 12.5% (Canada) $11.00.
93 Peller Estates 2022 Family Reserve, Pinot Grigio, Ontario 12% (Canada) $10.00.
86 Peller Estates 2022 Family Reserve, Sauvignon Blanc, Niagara Peninsula VQA 12.5% (Canada) $10.00.
87 Peller Estates 2022 Family Reserve, Chardonnay, Ontario 13% (Canada) $10.00.
87 Peller Estates 2022 Family Reserve Rosé Bubbles, Ontario 12% (Canada) $10.00.
88 Peller Estates 2022 Family Reserve Secco Bubbles, Ontario 12% (Canada) $10.00.
90 Rewild NV Pinot Grigio, Murray-Darling 12.5% (Australia) $13.00.
93 Rewild NV Cabernet Sauvignon, Murray-Darling 13% (Australia) $13.00.
91 Thirty Bench 2022 Winemakers Blend, Riesling, Beamsville Bench 10.6% (Canada) $16.00.
89 Thirty Bench 2021 Winemaker’s Blend Rosé, Niagara Peninsula VQA 12.1% (Canada) $18.00.
87 Thirty Bench 2020 Winemaker’s Blend, Cabernet Franc, Niagara Peninsula VQA 13.7% (Canada) $19.00.
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88 Trius 2022 Riesling, Niagara Peninsula VQA 11% (Canada) $13.00.
89 Trius 2022 Late Autumn Off Dry, Riesling, Niagara Peninsula VQA 11% (Canada) $13.00.
92 Trius 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, Niagara Peninsula VQA 12.5% (Canada) $13.00.
90 Trius 2022 Rosé, Niagara Peninsula VQA 12% (Canada) $14.00.
93 Trius 2021 Cabernet Franc, Niagara Peninsula VQA 13% (Canada) $13.00.
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86 Vivo NV Reserva Blend No.11, Sauvignon Blanc, Chile 13% (Chile) $12.00.
88 Vivo NV Reserva Blend No.19, Malbec, Argentina 12.5% (Argentina) $12.00.
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86 Wayne Gretzky 2021 Founders Series, Pinot Grigio, Ontario 12% (Canada) $12.00.
87 Wayne Gretzky 2021 Founders Series Fresh & Crisp White Blend, Ontario 11.5% (Canada) $11.00.
87 Wayne Gretzky 2021 Founders Series, Riesling, Niagara Peninsula VQA 11.1% (Canada) $12.00.
BR Wayne Gretzky 2021 Founders Series, Chardonnay, Niagara Peninsula VQA 13% (Canada) $12.00. - Bronze Medal
95 Wayne Gretzky 2021 Founders Series Rosé, Niagara Peninsula VQA 12% (Canada) $13.00.
93 Wayne Gretzky 2021 Founders Series, Sauvignon Blanc, Niagara Peninsula VQA 12.5% (Canada) $12.00.
91 Wayne Gretzky 2021 Founders Series Cabernet Merlot Red Blend, Ontario 13% (Canada) $12.00.
88 Wayne Gretzky 2022 Founders Series, Pinot Grigio, Okanagan Valley 12.8% (Canada) $13.00.
87 Wayne Gretzky 2020 Whisky Oak Aged Red Blend, British Columbia 14.2% (Canada) $16.00.
88 Wayne Gretzky 2022 Founders Series, Sauvignon Blanc, Okanagan Valley 13.6% (Canada) $13.00.
85 Wayne Gretzky 2021 Founders Series, Chardonnay, Niagara Peninsula VQA 13% (Canada) $12.00.
92 Wayne Gretzky 2022 Founders Series, Sauvignon Blanc, Niagara Peninsula VQA 12.5% (Canada) $12.00.
88 Wayne Gretzky 2021 Founders Series, Riesling, Niagara Peninsula VQA 11.1% (Canada) $12.00.
92 Wayne Gretzky 2022 Founders Series, Baco Noir, Ontario 12.5% (Canada) $11.00.
87 Wayne Gretzky 2021 Signature Series, Chardonnay, Niagara Peninsula VQA 12.9% (Canada) $21.00.
88 Wayne Gretzky 2021 Signature Series, Cabernet Sauvignon, Niagara-On-The-Lake 12.7% (Canada) $23.00.

Bordeaux Red Varietal Blend

Wine Glass Cabernet.jpg
Serve in a Cabernet Wine Glass
The greatness of red wines from France's Bordeaux region can be largely attributed to the art of blending. There are six red varieties that can be used in a Bordeaux red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Carmenere and Malbec (this last is rarely seen anymore in Bordeaux).

The reason for blending several grapes to craft the final wine is for greater complexity as well as elegance. Each grape has various characteristics and can attribute special qualities to the final wine. Cabernet Sauvignon is powerful and tannins, while Merlot has lighter tannins, while Cabernet Franc has a spicy, peppery quality to it. Blending these grapes together will round out all of these qualities; sort of a "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts" rationale.

This principal of blending is used in many regions besides Bordeaux, especially in California, were the blends are often given proprietary names, like Opus One, Insignia, and Quintessa. US blends of Bordeaux varietals may also be labeled, in addition to their proprietary name, by the designation of Meritage if they are approved and licensed by the Meritage Alliance.

Blending in Bordeaux is common not only on the prestigious wines from historic estates that cost hundreds of dollars per bottle, but also on the lighter-styled wines that are priced in the mid-teens. Aging potential can often be directly linked to the price of the wine, from three to five years to three to five decades.

Pair these wines with most red meats, games or roasts.