Black Bank Hill Runway Red 2021

You ready? Here’s the blend: 59% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot, 13% Pinot Noir, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Syrah with 17 months of aging in used French oak barrels. It shows a light shade of red in the glass with a minty/savoury nose of wild berries, herbs, cassis, dark cherries, red currants, and spice. There’s some structure and ripe tannins on the palate with notes of anise/fennel seed, black currants, savoury red berries, earthy bits, spice and a tangy, lifted finish. There are a lot of moving parts here, but somehow it all works. Drink or hold a year or two. Score – 90. (Rick VanSickle, winesinniagara.com, May 8, 2024)