River Stone Estate Winery Corner Stone 2019

Jennifer Havers rated this wine as 93/100 with the following review:

Beautiful blend of 33% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Franc, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec, and 6% Petit Verdot. These grapes were all grown in the River Rock Vineyard near Oliver, BC. All grapes were handpicked, and 80% of berries were left whole cluster, uncrushed, and cold soaked for 3-5 days, then fermented in stainless steel. After fermentation, wine was aged in French barrels, 33% of them new, for 12 months, followed by blending and then additional barrel aging for another 6 months before filtration and bottling. Aromas include plum, blackberry and mocha, with hints of dried herbs, Full bodied, smooth on the palate, with bright berry and plum flavours mingled with bright acidity. More mocha and chocolatey hints are balanced with tart and ripe berry flavours, soft tannins and mineral and herbal hints on the finish. Enjoy with prime rib.

Deborah Podurgiel WSET IV Candidate rated this wine as 93/100 with the following review:

River Stone Estate Winery Corner Stone 2019 is a dry, full-bodied, lush and smooth red wine blend of 33% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Franc, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec and 6% Petit Verdot. This is the winery's signature red and a seriously drinkable Bordeaux-style blend. In fact, the vineyard was originally planted in these grapes with this wine in mind.

Deep ruby in the glass, the wine is sultry with medium-plus intensity aromas of ripe dark berries savoury herbs, spices and sweet vanilla; it is rich and plushy on the palate with blueberry, cassis, dark plum, savoury herbs, dark spices, vanilla and chocolate flavours balanced with medium acidity and showing soft rounded tannins. Beautifully crafted, balanced and very approachable now.

Grapes are/were hand-harvested, sorted, destemmed with 80% of the fruit left whole berry and uncrushed. Grapes were cold soaked up to five days and fermented in both stainless steel tanks (2200 to 5000 litre tanks) as well as small fermentation totes to maximize skin to juice contact. The Cabernet Sauvignon was co-fermented with some of the Merlot. After transfer of wine and settling, malolactic conversion occurred. The wine was then aged in French oak barrels (33% new) for approximately 12 months. After the final blending, the wine was returned to barrels and aged a further six months, for a total of 18 months before filtration and bottling. Drink beautifully now or hold to 2028.

This vintage was awarded Gold at the 2022 National Wine Awards of Canada and Silver at the 2022 All Canadian Wine Championships.