2017 Icellars "Reserve" Cabernet Sauvignon 🔥 94pts

This 2017 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was meticulously put together from a selection of the top five barrels after the first 12 months of aging. Those barrels were then transferred into entirely new oak for an additional 12 months, resulting in incredible depth and texture for the final wine.

This is bold, rich, and powerful: very much a reflection of the 2017 vintage, which I still think is a total sleeper in Niagara-on-the-Lake. A very long, dry fall allowed the Cabernet Sauvignon to reach perfect and complete ripeness. 

On the nose, it’s deeply expressive: dark cherry, black currant, blueberry jam, cassis, layered with notes of dark chocolate, tobacco and graphite. Truly Cabernet Sauvignon.

The palate is soft, rich, and concentrated. You get waves of black currant, blackberry, and dark plum, with a subtle savoury note, like fresh sage, adding complexity and layers.

The mid-palate is where everything comes together. The oak, after 24 months in barrel, has completely integrated by now, supporting the fruit without ever overpowering it.

The length here is outstanding. The complexity is off the charts. And the finish lingers with dark chocolate, cedar, and a lift of asian spices like clove, nutmeg and black pepper. This wine has much more to offers: I had it open for over a week and it was still rocking. It can go for another 5 years easily.

This is a one-of-a-kind wine, and a serious statement for Niagara-on-the-Lake Cabernet Sauvignon. Only 270 cases produced. (Carl Boucher, March 26, 2026).

94 points, Carl's Wine Club | 94 points Rick VanSickle

ON Niagara Peninsula VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Dry Wine | RS: 3.4g/L | 14.8% ABV | Drink from 2026 to 2033

Pairings: BBQ grilled NY steak, lamb tenderloin w Cab Sauv reduction