There are those who believe in Ontario Syrah and others who wonder why we bother growing the grape in the first place – but in a year like 2007 it was a no-brainer to make. Flat Rock has three rows of Syrah grapes, and in 2007 they cropped ‘em low, to one ton to the acre. The subsequent wine was then aged in new French and American oak. The initial nose is full of vanilla, smoke and red raspberry, while the palate delivers rich red fruit and big oak with a long balanced finish. An hour later everything turned dark … the nose developed smoked meat and pepper with a backing of dark fruit, while the palate took on pepper, blackberry, black raspberry and smoky tones. This is one of the best Ontario Syrahs I have ever tasted; but by no means does this mean that we should drop everything and concentrate on this grape. Price: $45.00 – Rating: **** ½