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WTN: Two Reds from Howie

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Mark Lipton

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WTN: Two Reds from Howie

by Mark Lipton » Wed Sep 10, 2014 3:25 pm

Consumed with various meals over the past couple of weeks:

?? Bordertown Red (Merlot/Cab Franc blend) I forgot to write down the year on this one, but it was probably an '11 or '12 (Howie?). On first opening, it had a bright red berryish smell but also a distinct VA note. While appealing, the VA was a tad offputting. Fortunately, I saved half the bottle, because 1-2 days later it was a wine transformed. The VA was gone and the nose had become far less primary and more savory, with leather and herbal notes aplenty. The Cab Franc character was much in evidence and it bore a strong resemblance to a good St. Emilion, though it had higher acidity and less torrrefactive character than most Right Bank wines. Well done, Howie!

This week, with spaghetti and freshly made tomato-basil sauce, we opened Howie's 2011 Incognito (Vidal/Foch/Chambourcin). This wine was greeted with no fair measure of skepticism given my previous experiences with wines made from hybrids, but -- in keeping with a theme here -- this wine exceeded, if not smashed, all expectations. A generous nose of red and black berries with a juicy pong of acidity was followed on the palate with a smooth, racy mouthfeel. Had I been tasting this blind, I would have gone for an alpine wine from France or Italy, something like Mondeuse or Trousseau. It went very well with the tomato sauce and had only a subtle foxy aftertaste. All in all, this was far and away the finest hybrid-based red wine I've ever had. Again, bravo, Howie!

Mark Lipton
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Howie Hart

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Re: WTN: Two Reds from Howie

by Howie Hart » Wed Sep 10, 2014 5:15 pm

Thanks Mark, The Bordertown is 2010 (a very good year locally); 70% CF from Niagara County, NY and 30% Merlot from Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ont. Thus the name. While I did open a bottle at MOCOOL, as it was on-theme, I've been leaving my remaining stash to get a few more years. While I didn't pick up VA at MOCOOL, it did improve after being open fro a few hours.
Regarding the Incognito, I actually grew the Chambourcin in my back yard. There is no Foch in it - Baco. The Vidal, a white grape surprises many people, but it's a clean grape that produces wines with a full mouthfeel and longer finish. The Bordertown was the first batch aged 1 year in a new 26-gallon Hungarian oak barrel and the Incognito was the second. The third batch is 2012 Pinot Noir (18 months) and the barrel is now filled with 2013 Lemberger.
Glad you enjoyed them. Let me know when you come to the area again.
Chico - Hey! This Bottle is empty!
Groucho - That's because it's dry Champagne.
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Mark Lipton

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Re: WTN: Two Reds from Howie

by Mark Lipton » Thu Sep 11, 2014 11:40 am

Thanks for the corrections, Howie. I probably should have dug out the paper you included with the wines, as I suspect that all that information could be found on it. :oops:

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Howie Hart

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Re: WTN: Two Reds from Howie

by Howie Hart » Wed Sep 17, 2014 4:46 am

Oops - I forgot - there is Foch. The actual blend is 35% Baco, 25% Foch, 25% Vidal and 15% Chambourcin.
Chico - Hey! This Bottle is empty!
Groucho - That's because it's dry Champagne.

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