Providing a Unique & Affordable Selection of High Quality Red Wines and White Wines for Your Enjoyment. Also featured: Rosé, Port, Icewine, Champagne and Sparkling Wine for Special Occasions. Cheers!
The 5th Annual “County in the City” presented by WineAlign takes place on Thursday, April 14, 2016 at Berkeley Church (Toronto). Sample more than 70 different wines from at least 14 wineries from Prince Edward County - one of the world’s fastest growing wine regions. Many small-batch and family-owned wineries will showcase their pride and joy - including new vintages and specialty wines.
Many of the County wines showcased at the event are not available at retail wine outlets in the GTA, so you are strongly encouraged to take part in the “Try and Buy” program and have delicious County wines delivered right to you door. Mix and match bottles from different wineries and receive FREE shipping (minimum 6 bottles).
Confirmed Wineries:
Broken Stone Winery, Casa Dea Estates Winery, Closson Chase, Grange of Prince Edward County Vineyards and Estate Winery, Huff Estates Winery, Karlo Estates, Keint-He Winery and Vineyard, Lighthall Vineyards, Norman Hardie Winery and Vineyard, Rosehall Run Winery, Sandbands Estate Winery, Threedog Winery, Trail Estate Winery, and Traynor Family Vineyard.
Bonus 2-for-1 Tickets:
With every ticket purchased for County in the City presented by WineAlign, guests receive a complimentary ticket to the Thursday session of the Wine & Spirit Festival on June 16th at Sugar Beach! These tickets will be received upon entry to County in the City.
Event Details:
County in the City presented by WineAlign
Where: Berkeley Church - 315 Queen Street East, Toronto, Ontario
When: Thursday, April 14, 2016 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Admission:
$49 (includes 2 food samples and all wine samples)
$99 (same as $49 ticket + beautiful Zalto Universal Wine glass) Click here to purchase your tickets
Contest:
Here's your chance to WIN a pair of tickets to County in the City presented by WineAlign:
On a rainy , I had the opportunity to taste 47 different Cabernet Franc wines from Ontario. The tasting event was organized by André Proulx and took place at Archive 909. Among those in attendance was Krista Lamb to reunite our #BlendedCru wine tasting group.
The small venue was perfect for this tasting as we had the whole place to ourselves. The impressive display of wines were placed in a line and very nearly filled the full length of the expansive bar. Wines ranged in vintage from 2009 to 2013, while pricing fell between $12 and $78. It was great to see all three major Ontario wine regions represented - Niagara Peninsula and it's sub-appellations, Prince Edward County and Lake Erie North Shore. Quite a few of the wines are available at the LCBO, but most are available only at the winery.
Below you will find wine reviews of the wines I enjoyed the most - and there were quite a few! Looking back, I am disappointed to see that no wine under $20 is in my list, including my usual "go-to" Ontario Cabernet Franc from Featherstone ($18.95, #064618). Having said that, less than 1/3 of the wines we tasted were less than $20, while the majority were between $20-$35.
I spoke to André after the event and we both agreed it was pretty crazy
to taste so many wines in one sitting. However, it was a great
experience that we all enjoyed and is something I hope we can do again
with another grape that does well in Ontario. Varietals such as
Chardonnay, Riesling and Gamay are ideal candidates for the next tasting.
A big thank you to André for organizing this huge, epic tasting, as well as all the wineries who provided the samples for us to taste!
Tasting Notes:
BACK 10 CELLARS THE BIG LEAP CABERNET FRANC 2013 - VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $28.95
Screw cap. Fragrant nose featuring raspberry, bramble, green pepper, and herbaceous aromas of medium+ intensity. Light tannins and light-to-medium bodied with nice aroma replays. It has bright acids and a medium-to-long finish. Score: 89 pts
BENCH TRIAL SUBPOENA CABERNET FRANC 2010 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $40.00
Nose appeared somewhat closed but featured notes of plum, raspberry, oak spice, dark cherry and chocolate. On the palate, it's full-bodied with good fruit extraction and complex aroma replays. It has mouth-watering acids and a very long finish. Decant for an hour and serve to allow the aromas to fully bloom. Score: 90 pts
BENCH TRIAL TESTIMONY CABERNET FRANC 2011 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $35.00
Perfumed medium-to-high intensity aromas of spice, black cherry, herbs, and exotic flowers. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy taut tannins and very nice aroma replays accented by vanillan oak spice. It has very good acids and finishes very long. Score: 91 pts
CAVE SPRING CABERNET FRANC ESTATE BOTTLED CAVE SPRING VINEYARD 2012 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (D) - $29.95
Medium+ intensity aromas of sweet ripe fruit, spices, sage, and herbally notes. The palate is medium+ bodied and fleshy with spice and aroma replays. It has very good acidity and finishes long. Taut tannins will reward with 1-2 years in cellar. Drink up to 2019. Score: 88+ pts
COOPER'S HAWK RESERVE CABERNET FRANC 2012 - VQA Lake Erie North Shore, Ontario, Canada (#335729) (XD) - $34.95
Medium-to-high aromatics showing grilled pepper, white pepper and herbaceous aromas. It's medium-to-full bodied with black cherry, black plum, and vanillan oak flavours. Very good acidity, medium-to-firm tannins and an oak-spiced finish. Drinkable now, will reward 2 years ageing. Score: 90 pts
COYOTE'S RUN RARE VINTAGE CABERNET FRANC 2012 - VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $32.95
Aromas of medium-to-high intensity featuring savoury earthy and black cherry notes. On the palate, it's medium-to-full bodied with white pepper and sour cherry flavours. It has mouth-watering acids, good structure, firm tannins and a excellent length on the finish. Drinking well now, but will reward with 2 years in cellar. Score: 89-90 pts
FIELDING CABERNET FRANC 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#036194) (XD) - $21.95
Medium+ intensity aromas featuring complex black cherry, oak spice, currant and cedar notes. The palate is medium+ bodied with savoury aroma replays. It has very good acids, taut tannins amd finishes long and smooth. Drinkable now, but should be better in 2 years. Score: 89 pts
KACABA CABERNET FRANC RESERVE 2010 - VQA Niagara Escarpment, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $44.95
Inviting aromas of forest floor, cherry, dark red fruit and grilled pepper of medium+ intensity. The flavour profile consists of oak spice, chocolate and aroma replays on a medium+ bodied frame. It has very good acids, slightly chalky tannins and a long, smooth finish. Score: 88 pts
MEGALOMANIAC GROUNDED CABERNET FRANC 2010 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $44.95
Medium-to-high aromatics with a nose featuring savoury, earthy, forest floor and green pepper notes. The palate is medium+ bodied with ripe fruited flavours black cherry, oak spice, and plum. It has very good acids and finishes long. Score: 89 pts
NIAGARA COLLEGE TEACHING WINERY DEAN'S LIST CABERNET FRANC 2012 - Donald Ziraldo Vineyard, VQA St. David's Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $28.15
Perfumed medium+ intensity nose featuring lovely floral, black cherry, raspberry and sweet spice aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with bright acids and nice aroma replays while finishing long. Medium-to-firm tannins could use 1-2 years to soften, but quite drinkable now. Score: 89 pts
PILLITTERI RISERVA FAMIGLIA CABERNET FRANC 2010 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (D) - $78.20
Made in the appassimento style, this Cab Franc has medium-to-high aromas of sweet red cherries, caramel and orange. It's medium-to-full bodied with off-dry flavours of sweet oak spice, vanilla, milk chocolate and cherry. It has very good acids and excellent length on the finish. Memorable and different. Score: 90+ pts
RAVINE VINEYARD CABERNET FRANC 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $35.00
Medium-to-high aromas featuring earthy, bretty, savoury and dark red fruit notes. The palate is medium-bodied with taut tannins and flavours of black cherry, mocha, earth and vanilla. It has mouth-watering acids and a medium+ length finish. 88+ pts
RAVINE VINEYARD RESERVE CABERNET FRANC 2012 - VQA St. David's Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $45.00
Aromas of black cherry and oak of medium intensity. This is full-bodied with big, brooding tannins, oak spice, black cherry, herbaceous, and green pepper flavours. It has mouth-watering acids and excellent length on the finish. Better in 2-3 years and beyond. Score: 90 pts
ROSEHALL RUN CUVÉE COUNTY CABERNET FRANC 2011 - VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $29.95
Medium intensity aromas of green pepper, black cherry and sour cherry which replay on the palate. It's medium-bodied and ripe with a medium level of tannins, good acids and a long, sour finish. Ageing nicely. Score: 88+ pts
ROSEHALL RUN CUVÉE COUNTY CABERNET FRANC 2012 - VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $29.95
Medium+ intensity, focused nose featuring green herbally notes, blackberry, black cherry and a hint of smoke. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy tannins, aroma replays along with olive flavours. Good, balanced acidity and excellent length on the finish. Score: 88 pts
ROSEWOOD ORIGIN CABERNET FRANC 2013 - VQA Niagara Escarpment, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#427534) (XD) - $25.95
Complex medium-to-high aromatics featuring oak spice, sage, white pepper, pomegranate and bramble which follow through on the complex palate. It's medium-to-full bodied and shows excellent balance with mouth-watering acids and medium-level of tannin. The finish is very long and smooth. Could cellar 3-4 years but drinking great now! Vegan-friendly. Score: 90+ pts
SOUTHBROOK TRIOMPHE CABERNET FRANC 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#275958) (XD) - $21.95
Medium+ intensity aromas featuring white pepper, green pepper, herbaceous with underlying black cherry aromas that replay nicely on the palate. It has good structure and acids, fine tannins, while finishing long. Score: 89 pts
SOUTHBROOK WHIMSY! CABERNET FRANC 2012 - VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $34.95
Medium-to-high aromatics with a pleasing bouquet of herbs, black pepper, herbaceous, raspberry and black cherry notes. On the palate, it's medium-to-full bodied with nice aroma replays and hints of ripe fruit, all surrounded by smooth, rounded tannins and balanced acids. Excellent length on the finish. Score: 90 pts
TAWSE GROWER'S BLEND CABERNET FRANC 2011 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#284570) (XD) - $26.95
Medium intensity nose of sour cherry, white pepper, and hints of green pepper. The palate has nice aroma replays plus cassis flavours on a medium-to-full bodied frame that has good structure. The long finish has hints of coffee. Firm tannins could use 2-3 years to integrate. Score: 90 pts
VINELAND RESERVE CABERNET FRANC 2010 - VQA Niagara Escarpment, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $40
Medium+ intensity nose featuring black pepper, spice, cherry and herbaceous aromas. Medium-bodied on the palate with nice aroma replays, balanced acids, resolved tannins and a long finish. Very good balance between fruit and savoury oak flavours. Score: 90+ pts
Join us on at Airship 37 (37 Parliament Street, Toronto) and sample some of the best wines Prince Edward County has to offer! Over twenty different County wineries under one Toronto roof!
At the 4th annual "County in the City" presented by WineAlign, samples of more than 50 different wines will be tasted to delight the palates of Torontonians and introduce them to some of the most enticing flavours of Prince Edward County; the world’s fastest growing wine region. Over 20 small-batch and family-owned wineries will showcase their pride and joy (including new vintages and specialty wines) from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Some returning wineries this year are Casa Dea Estates Winery, Lighthall Vineyards, Karlo Estates Winery, Harwood Estate Vineyard and Norman Hardie Winery to name a few. Some new-comers include Trail Estate Winery and Black Prince Winery!
Many of the County wines showcased at the event are not available at retail wine outlets in the GTA, so guests are strongly encouraged to take part in the "Try and Buy" program and have delicious County wines delivered right to their door. Mix and match bottles from different wineries and receive FREE shipping (minimum 6 bottles).
I've attended each year and will once again be in attendance. Here are past posts about this event and its wines:
Admission:
$49 (includes food and all wine samples).
$60 at the door (subject to availability)
Tickets can be purchased here and includes a FREE Thursday ticket to the Toronto Wine & Spirit Festival ($20 Value) in June when you purchase your tickets using my link: http://goo.gl/KOl8Fu
To celebrate , I decided to open up these two wines from Prince Edward County's Karlo Estates. Both are crisp, refreshing white wines with balanced acids suitable for pairing with traditional Thanksgiving fare. Tonight, these wines were enjoyed with chicken wings, puff pastry pizza, and Shake'n Bake chicken. Neither of these wines are available at the LCBO, so you'll have to make the trek out to The County - just as I've promised myself to next year.
KARLO ESTATES PINOT GRIGIO 2013 - Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (XD) - ~$21
Medium+ intensity aromas featuring lovely, slightly sweet, wild flower, rose, and honeysuckle. It's medium-bodied on the dry palate with pleasing aroma replays, and some lemony notes. Acids are nicely balanced, while finish is lengthy, crisp, and showing hints of tartness. Score: 88 pts
KARLO ESTATES LAKE ON THE MOUNTAIN RIESLING 2013 - Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (D) - $22
Medium-intensity nose with beeswax, wood, pink grapefruit aromas. Medium-full bodied on the palate with off-dry flavours of spice, ginger, grapefruit, and tropical fruit. Bright acids give way to mineral, slightly chalky texture. Lengthy finish is bitter, dry and slightly warm. Score: 87 pts
On , I attended the 3rd Annual County in The City walk-around wine tasting held at The Berkeley Church in downtown Toronto. Having attended this event since it's inception back in 2012, I have found that my appreciation for Prince Edward County wines has grown - and for good reason.
Two years ago, I did not have much appreciation for Pinot Noir, and after attending County in the City in 2012, I think I liked it even less. Following the event in 2012, I was left with an impression that (nearly) everyone out there in PEC was making heavily oaked, smoky Pinot Noir - a style which I did not enjoy back then, nor do I enjoy now. A year later, the same wines showed much more restraint and balance and were generally much better in quality. In 2013 I also came away with a few favourites that I would have loved to add to my cellar.
One of the biggest draws of this event is the ability to order the wines that you taste and have it shipped to your door for free. Taking it one step further - you can mix and match wines from any of the wineries in attendance, so long as you order a minimum of 6 bottles total. Such a great idea (!) as many of these wines are not available at the LCBO.
This year, there were many yummy wines. The star grape for me at CITC was Riesling, followed closely by Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. All of the Rieslings had some level of sweetness to them, which I really enjoyed. Some even reminded me of German Riesling - with its high acidity, sweetness, and petrol nose.
Wineries in Prince Edward County frequently label their wines as "VQA Ontario". Often, this is because the grapes for those particular wines come from more than one appellation - usually Prince Edward County and Niagara. Personally, I am not a fan of blending grapes from different appellations, but I am sure they have their reasons for doing it. Wines that use 100% County fruit will be labelled as VQA Prince Edward County. Among my wine recommendations below, you will find wines with both types of classifications.
Overall, it was an enjoyable event. Small sized food pairing opportunities were plentiful. The crowd seemed lighter than previous years, which I didn't mind because it made moving around between tables much easier. And lastly, the wine was very good. This event definitely showed me that PEC wines are moving in the right direction, and the gap between County and Niagara wines is getting narrower.
Here are wine reviews of the some of the wines I tasted during the evening. While all of these wines will be available at the winery, a select few are available at the LCBO. I am planning a trip out to the County during the Summer - send me a quick note if you're interested in joining me. Cheers!
Tasting Notes: CASA-DEA RIESLING 2011 - VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (#) (MD) - $16.95
High intensity aromas of petrol and beeswax. Light-bodied and medium-dry sweet with mineral, lime and hints of peach on the palate. Bright acids and a taut, medium-long finish. Light and easy drinking. Score: 88+
HUFF ESTATES OFF-DRY RIESLING 2012 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#155606) (D) - $17.95
Because of the VQA Ontario designation, this will contain Niagara fruit, as well as County fruit. Medium-high intensity aromas of beeswax, petrol and minerals. Medium-full bodied with bracing acids. Off-dry in sweetness with lime and peach palate. Long finish that's a bit tart and a touch hot. LCBO General List and readily available. Score: 89 pts
KARLO ESTATES RIESLING 2012 - VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (#) (MD) - $22
Lovely spring flower bouquet from the glass. Medium-dry in sweetness with nice floral replays, fruity, petrol and what reminds me of Flintstones vitamins. Vibrant acids and finishing long. Easy drinking and crowd pleasing. Score: 89 pts
KARLO ESTATES VAN ALSTINE WHITE 2010 - Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (#) (S) - $29
Blend of estate grown Frontenac Blanc and Gewürztraminer made in a port-style. Medium intensity aromas that is all melon. Oily texture with sweet melon, orange and citrus flavours on the palate. Lively acid and a long finish. Delicious. Score: 90 pts
LIGHTHALL VINEYARDS GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2012 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#) (D) - $25
Medium-high aromas of lychee and floral. Lightweighted with nicely balanced aroma replays and minerality. It's off-dry (slightly sweet) with a crisp mouthfeel. Has good acids and a long finish. Classic Gewurz. Score: 89 pts
LIGHTHALL VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR 2010 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#) (XD) - $25
Medium-high aromas featuring red currant, cherry and cola. Medium+ bodied with very good acids. Flavour profile echoes the nose with spice, red currants and cherries. Oak leads the way on the long finish. Score: 89 pts
NORMAN HARDIE PINOT NOIR UNFILTERED 2010 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#208702) (XD) - $39
Smoky, meaty and vegetal aromas that are of high intensity. Sour cherry, mineral and clove spice flavour on the palate. Very good acids. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and long, silky smooth finish. Very well balanced overall. Part of LCBO General List and readily available. Score: 91 pts
NORMAN HARDIE RIESLING 2012 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#) (MD) - $21
Blend of 70% Twenty Mile Bench (Niagara) fruit and 30% County fruit. Highly aromatic with petrol, stone fruit, mineral and beeswax aromas. Light-bodied with clean minerals, citrus and peach on the palate. Medium-dry in the sweetness, but balanced acidity keeps everything in check. Long, clean finish. Very nice! Score: 90+ pts
ROSEHALL RUN JCR CHARDONNAY 2011 - Rosehall Vineyard, VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (#326512) (XD) - $30
Medium+ intensity nose featuring orchard fruits, apple, pear and oak that is all nicely balanced. Medium-bodied with nice aroma replays, balanced oak and hints of tropical fruit. Slightly oily texture with very good acids and a lengthy finish. Very nice! Score: 90 pts
ROSEHALL RUN JCR PINOT NOIR 2010 - Rosehall Vineyard, VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (#326504) (XD) - $39
Highly aromatic with cherry, strawberry, beetroot and oak on the nose. Medium-bodied with nice aroma replays and mouth-watering acids. Tannins are firm, yet feel light. Finish is long and spicy. Score: 90 pts
earlier this year, I had the pleasure of attending the Prince Edward County wine tasting held at Berkeley Church in downtown Toronto.
Prior to this event, I had only tasted one wine from PEC and was left with the impression that Prince Edward County is still a maturing region. That impression did not change after this event, but I can tell you that there are some worthy wines to check out if you get the chance. With summer nearly over and having visited Muskoka earlier this month, I believe a visit to Prince Edward County will be in store next summer as most of these wines can only be found at the winery.
Here are some tasting notes from the evening. Enjoy my wine reviews!
HUFF ESTATES RIESLING MEDIUM DRY 2010 - VQA Ontario (#155606) (MD) - $17.95
Crisp lychee, peach aromas. Petrol, mineral and some lychee on the palate. Crisp acidity. Would go well with a mild cheddar. (88 pts)
HUFF ESTATES SOUTH BAY CHARDONNAY 2009 - VQA Prince Edward County (#276006) (D) - $29.95
Crisp, ripe pear and apple aromatics. Fruit-forward with apple flavours on the palate, hints of sweetness. (88 pts)
KEINT-HE PINEAUX SAUVAGE 2008 - VQA Prince Edward County (MS) (375 mL) - $55.00
Botrytis affected Pinot Noir. Orange marmalade, honey and touch of oak aromas. On the palate there is dried apricots, caramel and ginger notes. Crisp acidity leads to a medium-sweet finish. Very nice! (91 pts)
KARLO ESTATES FRONTENAC GRIS ROSÉ 2011 (MD) - $16.00
Candied cherry, strawberry aromas and flavours. Starts off sweet and gives way to crisp, spicy, semi-dry finish. Quite pleasant. (88+ pts)
KARLO ESTATES QUINTUS 2010 (XD) - $35.00
A classic old-world blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot with classic aromas of currant and dark berries. On the palate, there is more currant, cassis, dark berries joined by spicy herbal notes. Balanced wine with ripe tannins and a long finish. (89 pts)
KARLO ESTATES THE 5TH ELEMENT 2010 (XD) - $39.00
Rare to see a 100% Petit Verdot. Dark fruits on the nose. Ripe dark fruit is well-integrated with oak. Full-bodied wine also has smoky flavours on the long finish. (88 pts)
KARLO ESTATES VAN ALSTINE WHITE 2010 (MS) (500 mL) - $29.00
Port-style wine made using Frontenac Blanc and Gewürztraminer. Lots of peach/apricot aromas with more of the same plus orange notes on the palate, in this medium- to full-bodied wine. Finishes with some spiciness and hazelnut notes. (88 pts)
SANDBANKS ESTATE RIESLING 2010 - VQA Prince Edward County (#139022) (D) - $14.95
Fresh floral and pear aromas. Off-dry lime-cordial on the palate, crisp acidity. (86 pts)
SANDBANKS ESTATE WINTER HARVEST - VQA Ontario (M) (200 mL) - $12.95
100% late-harvest Vidal. Lovely peach and honey aromatics with replays on palate, but is lacking acidity. (86 pts)
SANDBANKS ESTATE MOUTON NOIR - VQA Prince Edward County (XD) - $19.95
100% Marechal Foch. A style of red wine I haven't tasted in a while with aromas of concrete, tar, pencil lead, and steel. Dark fruits with lots of minerality, full-bodied and ripe tannins. (87 pts)
3630 CHARDONNAY 2009 - VQA Prince Edward County (XD) - $25.12
Very fresh, clean and crisp lime aromas. On the palate, gooseberry and grass notes reminds me more of a Sauvignon Blanc, and finishes spicy. Not your typical Chardonnay. (86 pts)
LIGHTHALL CHARDONNAY RÉSERVE 2009 - VQA Prince Edward County (#278226) (XD) - $25.00
Lightly oaked, but you wouldn't know it. Crisp and clean mineral characteristics with lime and citrus aromas and flavours in the background. Good acidity with a slight spritz on the finish. (87 pts)
ROSEHALL RUN SZ WHITE 2011 - VQA Prince Edward County (#214478) (XD) - $14.95
A medley of varietals used in this white wine brings citrusy and orange aromas and flavours. Starts off clean but finishes tart. (87 pts)
STANNERS PINOT GRIS CUIVRÉ 2010 - VQA Prince Edward County (XD) - $25.00
Light, crisp aromas of citrus, butter and pear that mingle nicely into a complex set of flavours on the palate. Dry with good acidity. (88 pts)
CASA-DEA PINOT NOIR 2009 - VQA Prince Edward County (XD) - $19.95
Red berries aromas and flavours with smooth tannins that are a touch grippy. May need a bit of time for tannins to mellow out, or decant and serve now. Otherwise enjoyable. (88 pts)
CASA-DEA PINOT GRIS 2009 - VQA Prince Edward County (#237883) (XD) - $18.95
Floral aromas with some citrus. Light bodied on the palate with clean, tangy citrus notes. Very smooth and crisp. (87 pts)
CASA-DEA CABERNET FRANC 2009 - VQA Prince Edward County (#241612) (XD) - $18.95
Lovely fresh berry and strawberry aromas and flavours. Medium bodied with ripe tannins. Crowd-pleaser. (88 pts)
HARWOOD PINOT GRIS 2010 - VQA Prince Edward County (XD) - $18.00
Very clean, crisp white with light apple and mineral nose with replays on the palate. Backed by acidity, finishes soft and smooth. More of an Italian Pinot Grigio style. (87 pts)
HARWOOD PINOT NOIR 2009 - VQA Prince Edward County (XD) - $29.00
Lots of spice, smoke and vanilla aromas that I found overwhelmed the fruit. Some bramble comes through on palate. Decanting for an hour may soften the tannins. Didn't enjoy this one.
HARWOOD ST. LAURENT 2009 - VQA Prince Edward County (XD) - $20.00
The St. Laurent varietal is related to Pinot Noir. Another smoky wine with bacon and barnyard aromas. Palate is dominated by currant and leather flavours. Ripe tannins. (85 pts)
Friday, April 1, 2016
The 5th Annual “County in the City” presented by WineAlign takes place on Thursday, April 14, 2016 at Berkeley Church (Toronto). Sample more than 70 different wines from at least 14 wineries from Prince Edward County - one of the world’s fastest growing wine regions. Many small-batch and family-owned wineries will showcase their pride and joy - including new vintages and specialty wines.
