Newly released Baco Noir.

There has been some excellent discussion here and on the sister forum about Baco Noir and Marechal Foch. As usual PaulB has been keepng us all on our toes so I was pleased to see the release of two BNs from Henry of Pelham. I have not tased the `04 Reserve but it is in town and on my hitlist! This bottle was opened an hour and slightly chilled.

WTN: `04 Baco Noir--Henry of Pelham, Ontario.

Colour. Medium intense centre, thin watery purple rim. Some sheeting but not much in way of legs. Looks great and complex.

Nose. Needed much swirling to get things going! Eventually some oak, pepper,plums and brambleberry. Brief hint of meatyness after 24 hrs. I was unable to find any of PaulB`s hickory smoke!

Palate. Oh Oh, lots of acidity here.Initial entry mouthfeel has some nice berry tones, medium bodied I`d say.Low tannins but the acidity is overpowering to me. Juicy in the mid-palate and finish is a powerhouse of blueberry and blackcurrant. Slight hint of bitterness, black cherry stones maybe. Bit herby too and I could really rave about the aftertaste if it was not for the acid content. Is this typical of this varietal?

Not much change in the aftertaste after 24 hrs, the duck did not help this wine out!!

Cost was under $18.00 Cdn.

Bob, many thanks for the amazing post.

You know, that's just the thing I've been saying lately about Baco: it has a tendency to show unfriendly acidity at times when compared to Marechal Foch or Dechaunac. I feel, however, that Baco Noir absolutely needs pampering in the vineyard (foliage management and crop control) and a proper approach in the cellar to show its best. I have no idea how hands-on Henry of Pelham's approach to it is, or whether they've mechanized a lot of the work (they do put out quite a lot of this wine!). Regardless, I really feel that Baco Noir is a vine that produces reliably but it absolutely needs hands-on management from vineyard to bottle to show at its best.

Bump up as I have the `05 open on the kitchen table!!! Lucky me spotted some halves downtown. Stay tuned forumites.

Well down here in Oregon we have a Swiss winemaker in Southern Oregon, Girardet, who makes Baco Noir and Marechal Foch. They really are quite good. They are both low tanin wines but with lots of flavor. It is fun to get people to try them and compare to Cabernet and Merlot.

That is good news Michael. This Pelham is John Wayne with all guns blazin`. 2 glasses was all I could handle at one sitting.
It`s $9.00 Cdn a half bottle!! Cannot beat the price eh.