WTN: 2005 D'Angelo Old Vines Foch Reserve (Ontario VQA)

Sal D'Angelo makes what I consider to one of Ontario's finest red wines: a varietal Marechal Foch from vines planted in 1984. (It merits mentioning that Malivoire Winery, which has also produced an Old Vines Foch since 1998 from vines planted in 1975, has been another benchmark for quality estate-grown Foch. In recent years, however, I have not found the wines quite as good as Sal D'Angelo's examples - despite the steady climb in price from the inaugural release.)

This OVF was purchased directly at the winery: D'Angelo wines have not been available through Vintages for years.

Sporting 14% alc./vol. from a hot, dry vintage, the wine shows a very deep, saturated black-ruby/garnet core with a gorgeous black-crimson hue towards the meniscus. A very well-tuned nose: subtle black-cherry fruit atop a hint of game and cedar, with high-quality smoky oak nuances. Extremely supple on the entry - warm and ripe, and very reminiscent of a Zin to my surprise; even the alcohol, which is carried extremely well and without heat, bespeaks a Zin-like paradigm. Excellent, crisp acidity that's gentle and fully ripe and balanced. Textbook, quality Foch on the mid-palate. High-quality wood fleshes out the finish, which is characterized by a long replay of the aforementioned flavours and diminutive (proper to Foch) grainy tannins.

Truly a class act, it's a wine that I'm proud to have on my dinner table and proud to recommend to all who love Marechal Foch the way it ought to be made. [Post title amended to show that this is in fact the Reserve bottling, not the regular one.]

Paul, I am probably one of the few here who is keen on MF (you know that!). Quails Gate has their new release coming out so will post back!
Malivoire used to be out here.

Yes Bob, I know I can count on you to post on that and the H of P Baco!

I will confess, however, to liking the D'Angelo OVF more than the Quails' Gate, which I found hot and searingly alcoholic the last time I tried it. Most Ontario Fochs are very much to my taste, though there's no denying that Sal D'Angelo's sense of style comes through in his OVF as it does in all his other reds.

Thanks for the heads-up Paul. I'm always on the lookout for good hybrids. But I'm confused - do you have a url for them? googling gives me a D'angelo in BC.

But I'm confused - do you have a url for them? googling gives me a D'angelo in BC.

I'm not Paul, but try this:

http://www.dangelowinery.com/

From the website: In 1979, Salvatore D’Angelo began his search for the land on which to plant his vineyard. As an accomplished amateur winemaker, his ambition was to start his own winery within the heart of Essex County, in Southern Ontario. In 1984 he bought fifty acres in Amherstburg, just south of Windsor. [snip]

He was becoming evermore aware of the impressive winemaking history of the beautiful Okanagan Valley. By the early 80's he had resolved to follow up on his extensive research of the area with a visit. After he was presented with the Grape King Award 1999, the top honour for the year in Ontario for having the finest vineyard, he knew it was time to reach even higher. So, he searched out the best property he could find in the Okanagan Valley and bought it. This is where he would eventually bring his art to an even higher level of perfection.

Keith, thanks for posting the link.

I will admit that the reason I didn't link to his website is that the Ontario page is just so appallingly low in content; in fact, the Amherstburg winery doesn't even have a website dedicated to it at all.

Despite that one failing, I still think that D'Angelo's wines are worth the visit - especially the reserve OVF.