Peller Estates, nestled in the heart of Niagara-on-the-Lake, has a rich winemaking heritage that began in 1969 under the vision of Andrew Peller, a Hungarian immigrant with a dream to craft world-class Canadian wines. Over the decades, the winery has become a cornerstone of the Niagara wine region, producing a diverse portfolio of varietals that express the local terroir. Among these, their Cabernet Franc stands out with elegance and finesse. Typically, offering ripe red berry fruit, subtle herbal notes, and a touch of spice, reflective of the cooler climate and meticulous vineyard management.
I received two bottles of their Cabernet Franc wines for my review of this grape varietal and its expression in the Niagara region. Let me tell you about them.
Peller Estates Signature Series Cabernet Franc 2022 (ON $52)
Appearance: a deep garnet colour in the glass. Teardrops visible on the sides of the glass after swirling.
Nose: Light aromas of cedar, cinnamon, red fruits, and plums. No change to the aromas after decanting.
Palate: It is dry, medium body, with a smooth, soft, round, thicker mouthfeel. Bright acidity and lighter tannins that get stronger to the finish. Sweet cherries, red fruits, cedar, plums, and touches of cedar and vanilla on the palate. Light pepperiness toward the finish. Very similar fruit flavours after decanting. You can now add some black cherries. The body and mouthfeel stay the same.
Finish: A medium-plus length finishing with red fruit, light sweet spices and cedar, plus touches of pepperiness and bitter oak. This wine is smooth and thick on the palate to the finish. Medium intensity, fine-grained tannins on the finish. No change to the finish, other than add a touch of black cherries.
This is a solid Cabernet Franc with nice red fruits, cherries and plums aromas and flavours. There are little changes to this wine after decanting, adding black cherries to the palate. No need to decant, but you can enjoy this wine at leisure the next day without any major changes.
Rating: 
The Peller Estates Signature Series Cabernet Franc 2022 offers a deep garnet hue and subtle aromas of cedar, cinnamon, red fruits, and plums that remain consistent after decanting. On the palate, it is dry with a smooth, round, with a fuller mouthfeel, showcasing sweet cherries, more red and less black fruits, cedar, and a touch of vanilla, all balanced by bright acidity and gentle tannins. The medium-plus finish is smooth and persistent, with fine tannins, red fruit, cedar, spice, and a hint of black cherries after decanting.
Peller Estates Private Reserve Cabernet Franc 2022 (ON $27)
Appearance: a clear, medium garnet in colour. About 60% opaque, with consistent colour to the core. Teardrops are visible on the sides of the glass with swirling.
Nose: Medium-plus intensity aromas of ripe red fruits, raspberries, plums, cedar, and cinnamon. You get a touch of toast with air. More toastiness on the nose after decanting, and the cedar and cinnamon are reduced.
Palate: Dryish, medium body, with a smooth, round soft mouthfeel. Not quite mouth filling. Floral, red fruits, red cherries, candied red cherries and plum flavours, plus some oak and pepperiness. Medium acidity and tannins. No major changes to this wine on the palate after decanting other than having a leaner mouthfeel and adding some black cherry flavour.
Finish: Medium-plus length finishing with red fruit, red cherries and cedar flavours. Medium intensity, courser-grained tannins compared to the Signature Series. Add dark fruit flavours on the finish, and no cedar or red fruit flavours after decanting.
I enjoyed the red fruit aromas and flavours of this wine upon first opening. The wine has more toastiness on the nose, a leaner mouthfeel, and adds black cherries / darker fruits after decanting. I prefer the red fruit aromas and flavours, so recommend not decanting this wine.
Rating: 
– no decanting. The Peller Estates Private Reserve Cabernet Franc 2022 has a clear medium garnet colour and opens with inviting aromas of ripe red fruits, raspberries, plums, cedar, and cinnamon, with more toastiness emerging after decanting. On the palate, it offers a smooth, round mouthfeel with flavours of red cherries, candied red cherries, plum, oak, and a touch of pepperiness, supported by medium acidity and tannins. The medium-plus length finish features red fruit and cedar initially, and adds darker fruit tones after decanting. The tannins are not as fine-grained as you get in the Signature Series.
Both wines had similar traits, although you could taste and feel the difference between the two wines on your palate. Both showed off red fruit, cinnamon, and cedar undecanted, then the wines added black cherry flavours after decanting.
Did you notice the difference in the bottles? The Private Reserve was in a thinner, green glass bottle, while the Signature Series used a wider, thicker, brown glass bottle? My guess for the difference is that the brown bottles accommodate cork while the green bottles are designed for screw caps.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
You can purchase these wines online through the Peller Estates website:
- Peller Estates Signature Series Cabernet Franc 2022 (links to 2020 vintage)
- Peller Estates Private Reserve Cabernet Franc 2022
These wines are not yet available in BC, but I hope with the interprovincial trade barriers coming down, that we will see these wines soon.
