More Baco Noir from Nova Scotia: Blomidon Estate & Domaine de Grand Pré

In a recent post, I reviewed the 2020 Saint-Famille Lost Bell Baco Noir, providing information and history about the Baco Noir grape. Now, I've tasted two more Baco Noir wines from Nova Scotia, giving me a bit more experience with how this intriguing grape is being produced in this region.  

The first of those two wines is from the Blomidon Estate Winery, and you can find more background on this winery in another of my recent posts, a review of a Blomidon Crémant. The 2019 Blomidon Estate Baco Noir ($22) is made from 100% Baco Noir, but the winery's website lacks any details of its production process, although it seems like it has seen some aging in American oak and it only has a 12% ABV. 

The wine has a medium-red color with pleasing aromas of red and black fruit with a touch of spice. On the palate, it was smooth and juicy, with rich black and red fruits, including some cherry and blackberry, complemented by some vanilla and other spices. Mild tannins, good acidity, and a nice finish. A very tasty wine, it was my favorite of the three Nova Scotian Baco Noirs wines I've tasted recently. It had more character and complexity than the other two, and would be excellent on its own or paired with food. I enjoyed it with some turkey tips, and it would go well with plenty of dishes, from pizza to burgers. 

The original Domaine de Grand Pré winery was founded in 1979, making it the oldest farm winery in Atlantic Canada. In 2000, the winery was reopened by Hanspeter Stutz, a native of Switzerland, with his son, Jürg, a Swiss trained winemaker. The 2019 Domaine de Grand Pré Baco Noir ($16) might be a new product for this winery as it isn't even listed on their website. It's a simple, easy drinking red wine, with strawberry and black cherry flavors, and a touch of pepper. The tannins are a bit stronger than the Blomidon, so this wine is probably better served with food.