February 9, 2015 - Clear magenta. Cigar bix, tar, leather, cassis. Low acids, medium to low tannins. Black cherry. Medium balanced finish.
November 5, 2011 - Servi comme deuxième vin rouge sec après un pinot noir et avant un merlot plus costaud lors du souper anniversaire à Charles. Il accompagnait la deuxième portion du plat de résistance : une crêpe de sarrasin montée de poivrons, porc au paprika, germinations et sauce safranée à la vanille.
Fruit frais, peu de tanins, alcool modéré, extraction modéré, peu de présence de bois. Agréable au final.
March 13, 2011 - A decent enough merlot to order for an assuming evening with friends at a restaurant.
March 1, 2011 - Soft and drinkable wine; not overly complex, but still interesting. Raspberry, chocolate, cinnamon and oak are the predominant flavours. For $20CDN, I feel I'm getting my money's worth.
January 20, 2011 - Very merlot. Butter
September 14, 2010 - Popped and poured ... Years ago, when we first started liking wine we drank mostly Merlot. (I now think of it as our starter grape.) Since our tastes have developed (we now trend towards far "bigger" wines), I've become less and less enamored of the bland simplicity most American-made Merlots offer, so I tend to open those we still have in our cellar with reluctance. This made the Canoe Ridge a pleasant, Tuesday night surprise.
The nose was lovely, with a deep garnet color in the glass. The wine was smooth and easy to drink, with some fresh fruit notes and a refreshing dryness to the finish without being tannic. There was a bit of spice and enough else going on to keep me interested enough to want a second glass after dinner.
March 5, 2010 - Fine for when you don't want to open a good bottle. Decent nose and initial taste but not too complex.
January 21, 2010 - Lighter ruby color, great nose; Medium-bodied Merlot with some spice, smooth and clean, slightly fruity. Rich for a Merlot.
July 26, 2009 - From memory:
Tasted at the Horse Heaven Hills Trail Ride. Nice complexity and great long finish. Bought a bottle and served with steak the first night and pasta the second. The first night it was a little tight but matched up well with the steak. By the second night it had mellowed considerably and was very enjoyable with the pasta. Would buy again.