Rosehall Run Cabernet Merlot 2021 Wine Review

Natalie's Score: 90/100

Rosehall Run Cabernet Merlot from Ontario V.Q.A. is a polished, medium-to-full-bodied dry red blending 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, sourced from Niagara fruit and aged for 16 months in a combination of French and American oak, a thoughtful combination that brings both structure and suppleness to a wine of genuine elegance and restraint. It opens with a composed, inviting nose of dark plum, dried wild blueberry, graphite, and warm vanilla, with a mid-palate of roasted cedar, dried thyme, and a gentle iron-rich minerality that frames the wine's satisfying, silky finish. At just 12.5% alcohol it is impressively light on its feet for a Cabernet-dominant red, best served at a cool room temperature and with cellaring potential well through 2033. Head winemaker Dan Sullivan, who honed his craft over 15 years as an award-winning amateur winemaker before founding Rosehall Run in 2001 as one of Prince Edward County's earliest wineries, is widely regarded as a pioneer of the region whose 2005 Pinot Noir was identified by wine writer David Lawrason as one of the six wines defining Canada's future. Remarkably, Sullivan selected this farm in Hillier Ward specifically for its clay and shale soils over a calcareous limestone base, with Lake Ontario just one to two kilometres away on three sides, creating a uniquely moderated microclimate that few Ontario properties can match.

Cabernet Merlot food pairings: slow-roasted beef tenderloin with a red wine and mushroom jus, grilled lamb chops with roasted garlic and herb butter, duck confit with roasted root vegetables and a cherry reduction.

Luscious Lamb Wine

Natalie MacLean reviewed this Rosehall Run Cabernet Merlot 2021 for the Vintages release of May 16, 2026.

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Please note that our reviews are based on a variety of sources: samples sent to our team, those we purchase in store, tasting events, those tasted in restaurants and while traveling domestically and internationally.

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