With Dr. Henry lifting restrictions for us being able to travel within our zone for recreation purposes, I present you with two “Lover’s Lane” wines by Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery. One is a Cabernet Franc and the other Cabernet Sauvignon, from 2018.
The Wine Labels
The Old Yale Road is a historic early wagon road that serviced the Fraser Valley. Today, Yale Road running east is a heritage site called the “Old Yale Wagon Road.” Known fondly by locals as “Lovers Lane,” lovers of all ages meet and take romantic walks along Old Yale Wagon Road. You may notice while both labels say Lover’s Lane, the Cabernet Franc has trees with green leaves while the Cabernet Sauvignon has trees with red leaves. I am not sure if the Cabernet Franc represents a youthful, young wine, while the Cabernet Sauvignon represents an older, more mature person. A May-December relationship?
My Wine Tasting Notes
Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery Lover’s Lane Cabernet Franc 2018 (BC $31)
The grapes for this wine come from the Similkameen Valley. 150 cases produced.
Appearance: A lighter very translucent garnet colour, consistent from rim to core.
Nose: A medium intensity nose with smoky sausage and bacon, toastiness, red fruit, raspberries, sweet spices, and a touch of floral. Add black fruits and tea leaves aromas and less red fruit with decanting. The remaining aromas persist.
Palate: Dry with a lighter mouthfeel and semi-roundness. Raspberry, red fruit, some floral, smokiness, red cherries, black currants, capsium/cedar and light sweet spices. Medium acidity. The wine still has a lighter body and mouthfeel with decanting, and the flavours persist. The only change is that the tannins are a little drier.
Finish: A medium plus length finishing dry with light drying tannins. More acidity on the finish. Red fruit, pepperiness and a touch of cedar.
Rating: 
A nuanced wine. Enticing aromas of sausage, bacon, and red fruits. A medium-plus body and lighter mouthfeel. Dry. Red cherries and red fruits, plus toast, sweet spices, and some black currants toward the finish. A light finish with red fruit, pepperiness, some cedar, and light drying tannins. Can drink now or age 2-3 years.
Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery Lover’s Lane Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (BC $40)
The grapes for this wine come from the Okanagan Valley. 75 cases produced.
Appearance: A deep, almost opaque black garnet colour.
Nose: An interesting nose, medium-minus intensity, with a mix of vanilla, baby powder, sweet spices, cedar, red cherries, black fruit, and touches of smoke, nutmeg, and dark chocolate. After decanting the aromas were slightly lighter, more black fruit than red fruit aromas, an addition of black licorice, and just a touch of vanilla, while the other aromas remained the same.
Palate: It has a touch of sweetness, full-bodied, round with a thick, meaty feel. Drying medium intensity tannins. Black fruit, blackberries, black cherry, nutmeg cloves, vanilla, and some bitter oakiness, cedar, and dark chocolate. This wine felt thicker and drier with decanting. Ripe black fruit, raspberries, cloves, vanilla, black cherry, cocoa, coconut, cedar, and oak.
Finish: A medium-plus length finishing with vanilla, dark chocolate bitterness, red cherries, and black fruit, Dry firmer tannins and pepperiness. Less peppery with decanting and more noticeable cedar.
Rating: A deeper, darker wine that is more upfront with its flavours. A mix of black fruit, vanilla and other sweet spices, aromas and a touch of smokiness when opened. A thicker meaty mouthfeel. Black fruit, blackberries and black cherries, nutmeg and cloves spices, and a touch of oak, dark chocolate, and cedar. Can age 4-5 years.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
You can purchase their wines online via their website.
Thank you to Seaside Pearl for providing me with these wines to review.
