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!
wine reviews are a pair of wines from the FRESH brand produced by Diamond Estates.
The focus on FRESH is about fun, creative wines for wine drinkers who want to explore and try something different. The two wines reviewed below fit into the brand very nicely as the Riesling/Gewürztraminer blend and the Sparkling Wine made with Riesling are both relatively uncommon in the wine world.
These wines, among others in the FRESH line are available at the LCBO. However, you can order a case online at FRESHwines.ca and have it delivered to your door in Ontario for FREE when you use promo code FRESHHoliday and enjoy these wines over the holidays!
Tasting Notes:
FRESH IDEAS SPARKLING RIESLING 2014 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#441162) (M) - $15.95
Lemon, honeysuckle, and wildflower aromas with a honeyed character from the cork. Honeyed citrus and floral aromas are somewhat muted in the glass. More honeyed citrus, orange and floral flavours on the medium sweet palate. Bubbles are nicely articulated. Sweetness is cut by bright, crisp acids and finishes on the dry side. Score: 87 pts
FRESH OPPORTUNITIES RIESLING GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2014 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#572156) (D) - $12.95
A blend of 60% Riesling and 40% Gewürztraminer. Screw cap. Low-medium intensity nose featuring ripe peach, citrus with a bit of earthy funkiness at the tail end. Off-dry on the palate with more peach and citrus flavours. Acids are sharp, but has a nice chalky mineral texture. Good length on the finish. Score: 86 pts
In , I had the pleasure of attending Winetario, an event put together by iYellow Wine Club and George Brown College Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts to showcase local Ontario VQA wines that won medals at the 2016 Ontario Wine Awards. The event was held in the atrium at the George Brown College campus located on Adelaide Street East in downtown Toronto.
I was in attendance for the entire tasting session and managed to taste through most of the wines. However, I was disappointed that I ran out of time and missed tasting the Icewine - a category Ontario excels in year after year. I also noticed a distinct lack of Chardonnay amongst the wines being poured - another category which Ontario does quite well. Having said that, there were plenty of other delicious wines to taste, across many different grape varieties, with Ontario Riesling and Syrah being my top favourites. Listed below are wine reviews of some of my favourite wines at Winetario, some of which you can find right now at the LCBO. Alternatively, you can always contact the winery or pay them a visit in Niagara Wine Country.
If you're in the Greater Toronto Area, the WiNETARiO Harvest Edition wine tasting takes place on November 3rd. Venue and ticketing information can be found on the iYellow Wine Club website.
Tasting Notes:
KONZELMANN LATE HARVEST GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#392357) (M) - $14.75
Highly aromatic nose is very inviting with notions of lychee, floral and roses. The medium-dry palate is sweet with nicely balanced acids and lovely aroma replays. Very good finish length. Score: 89 pts
ANDREW PELLER ESTATES SIGNATURE SERIES SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#405043) (XD) - $24.75
An austere Sauvignon Blanc
showing gooseberry, kiwi and some smoke on the nose. It's medium-bodied
with barrel-fermented oak providing texture. Acids are well-balanced.
Nice aroma replays on the palate continue through to the long finish.
Score: 90 pts
TWO SISTERS RIESLING 2014 - VQA Niagara Escarpment, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (M) - $35
Pleasing mineral, petrol and orange aromas that also shine through on the palate with a slight leesy character. Medium in sweetness with juicy, balanced acids. Excellent length on the finish. Score: 90 pts
THIRTY BENCH SMALL LOT WOOD POST RIESLING 2014 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (M) - ~$30
Lovely, highly aromatic nose offers peach, mineral and petrol notes. Nicely balanced and harmonious aroma replays on the palate with a stony mineral texture. It's off-dry in style, with bracing acidity and excellent length on the finish. Always good year after year. Score: 91 pts
HENRY OF PELHAM RESERVE BACO NOIR 2013 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#461699) (D) - $24.95
A medium-high intensity nose offers blackberry, black cherry, sweet oak
and brambly aromas that balances fruit and oak well. It's medium-full
bodied with nicely balanced aroma replays on the palate, along with some
mineral notes. Juicy with a long cherry-floral finish. Very appealing. Released in VINTAGES on June 25th. Score: 90 pts
PALATINE HILLS NEUFELD VINEYARD MERLOT 2012 - VQA Niagara Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $24.80
This Merlot is quite complex, offering earthy, blackberry, dark fruits, dark cherry, and hints of barnyard aromas that all follow through to the full-bodied palate. It has dusty tannins that are integrating very nicely. Very good acids and fine length on the earthy, dark-fruited finish. Still a bit young and should age well for half dozen years or more. Score: 90 pts
SOUTHBROOK ESTATE GROWN SMALL LOT CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013 - VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $39.95
Organic and biodynamic, composed of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Cabernet Franc. This red wine was Served decanted, and has lovely cherry, sweet oak, cassis, ripe red berry and earthy aromas. Full-bodied with smooth tannins and tart aroma replays. It has balanced acids and excellent length on the finish. Score: 90+ pts
CREEKSIDE BROKEN PRESS SYRAH 2012 - Queenston Road Vineyard, VQA St. David's Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#202127) (XD) - $42.95
Highly aromatic nose offers meaty, black peppercorn and sour cherry notes. The full-bodied palate has fine aroma replays with hints of violet and floral notes. The juicy acids and integrated tannins are well-balanced, and the finish length is excellent. Such a delight! Score: 92 pts
Sweet wines are ideal for pairing with fiery Indian curries. To match the Chicken Madras that's on the menu tonight at Chez Megz, I elected to open up this off-dry Riesling from Niagara's Mike Weir Winery.
This wine was tasted and picked up at the winery last January during the Icewine Festival and is available at the winery only. I also enjoyed this wine when I visited the winery on a hot day in July during Food Truck Fest. Let's see how it is tonight...
Tasting Note:
MIKE WEIR LIMITED EDITION RIESLING 2014 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#229286) (MD) - $22.95
Screw cap. Clean orange citrus and petrol nose with whiffs of sweet lemon and stony minerality. It's clean and crisp on the palate, slightly fleshy, with pleasing aroma replays of medium-dry sweetness. Acids are juicy, clean and well-balanced. Fine length with some wet stone notes at the tail end of the finish. 10.5% abv. If you like sweeter wines, you will enjoy this! Available at winery only. Paired beautifully with the Chicken Madras as the sweet sugars in the wine helped calm the hot spices in the dish. Score: 89 pts
After a very satisfying Niagara New Vintage Wine Festival experience on , expectations were raised for visit to wineries mostly in Niagara-on-the-Lake. In all, we ended up visiting 7 different wineries on Sunday, a few of which were unplanned stops that were hard to pass up.
Our day began in the morning at Inniskillin Wines for a triple cream Brie grilled cheese with poached rhubarb that was paired
with their freshly released 2015 Inniskillin Reserve Cabernet Franc Rosé ($19.95, 87 pts). Since we were one of the first to arrive at the winery, we had to wait quite a while before the first grilled cheese was prepared. However, we didn't mind because that gave us a chance to enjoy the sun and great weather on their outdoor patio, and also allowed us to sample some wines at their wine tasting bar. The grilled cheese was hot and tasty, with the rhubarb flavours from the sandwich bringing out similar flavours in the rosé. The creamy cheese also helped tame the racy acids in the wine, making for a balanced, yummy pairing.
The second stop of the day was an unplanned visit to Peller Estates Winery for a mouthwatering Niagara grilled trout on a flatbread with smoked salsa, charred feta and pickled red onions. This was paired with your choice of 2015 Peller Estates Private Reserve Rosé ($16.95, 87 pts, sold out) or the 2015 Peller Estates Private Reserve Muscat ($14.95). It was served on their outdoor back patio facing the vineyards - a very nice setting to enjoy this refreshing pairing. I opted for the rosé and it paired really well with the flatbread - lots of cherry, red berry, herbally, spice flavours complementing the dry rosé that made this pairing quite compelling. Making this experience very memorable was the arrival of more than 50 exotic cars that parked on the grass between the patio and the vineyards.
The third stop of the day was at PondView Estate Winery for two stuffed endive boats paired with their 2015 Viognier. Once again, the great weather allowed us to enjoy our pairing outdoors. The first endive boat had grilled pineapple and caramelized shallots in goat cheese and topped with pecans, while the second endive boat had blue cheese and walnuts, and both boats were drizzled with honey. The pairing with the dry Viognier was quite nice with the honey adding some pleasant sweetness. I found the first endive boat to be immaculately paired with the wine - well-balanced flavours that brought out sweet pineapple and honey flavours from the wine. The blue cheese endive made the pairing fall on the savoury side. All-in-all, this was a satisfying experience.
Our fourth stop of the day was an unplanned visit to Pillitteri Estates Winery. We couldn't pass up the chance to enjoy a sumptuous celery and caraway salmon burger that was topped with lettuce, grilled red onion, and lemon remoulade on a brioche bun. Generously sized, this burger was perfectly paired with the newly released 2014 Debbie Travis Pinot Grigio (#457515, $15.95, 86 pts). Knowing what was ahead of us and a little tight on time, I had to skip any wine tasting, including some of the best Icewine in Niagara.
As we moved closer towards direction of home, our fifth stop of the day was at Colaneri Estate Winery for a tangy spring roll from Chang Noi's Thai Restaurant that was paired with the 2012 Colaneri Mistera Gewürztraminer ($19.95). The vegetarian spring roll was topped with a sweet chili sauce that made the spring roll a touch on the hot side, but also allowed it to pair quite well with the sweet Gewürztraminer white wine. Once again, sweet wine paired with spice makes for a delightful combo.
More closer to home in Lincoln, Ontario, our next stop was at Creekside Estate Winery for a break from solid foods to enjoy a refreshing slushie on this hot day. The nice and cold slushie was made by blending their 2015 Creekside Pinot Grigio (#083196, $14.95) with golden Niagara peaches that were in season. It had lots of delicious peach flavours to go along with a slight kick from the alcohol. On this hot summer day, this was the perfect way to cool down!
Amazingly, as had happened during the 2015 Niagara New Vintage Wine Festival, our day of food and wine concluded at Featherstone Estate Winery for the second year in a row. Once again, the offering was a strawberry pizza topped with balsamic paired with their latest Featherstone Rosé. It was made in their outdoor wood-fired oven by owner/winemaker David Johnson - the same guy that made these pizza's last summer, except I had no clue who he was last year. Ha! Ha! It was great to finally meet and talk to the man behind the wines. It was Featherstone's Cabernet Franc that got me turned on to Ontario Cab Franc many years ago and is still one of my favourite Ontario red wines year-after-year. The pizza was a delicious combination of sweet, savoury and sour, and accentuated the strawberry flavours in the wine.
Overall, we very much enjoyed our trip through Niagara Wine Country and are looking forward to visiting the region again in September for the big, annual Niagara Grape & Wine Festival where we expecting more delicious food & wine pairings. If you're interested in joining us, let me know!
Tasting Notes:
INNISKILLIN DISCOVERY SERIES BARREL FERMENTED SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $22.95
Barrel fermented for 3 months in new and older French barrels. Medium+ intensity nose showing musky oak notes layered with grassy, hay and green aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a nice, creamy texture, tart acids balanced by clean lime and gooseberry flavours. Juicy with slight sour notes on the long finish. Score: 88 pts
INNISKILLIN DISCOVERY SERIES SUSSE RESERVE RIESLING 2015 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (MD) - $22.95
Generous nose offers clean citrus, orange, peach, Flintstone vitamins, along with hints of mineral and petrol adding complexity. It's medium-bodied with juicy, balanced acids. Off-dry with yummy peach and orange flavours. Good length on the finish. Score: 88 pts
INNISKILLIN RESERVE PINOT NOIR 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $24.95
From
a hot vintage, this has a medium+ nose featuring complex spice, blackberry, dark cherry, allspice and clove aromas. On the palate, it is medium-bodied with smooth, supple tannins that are just a touch grippy at the moment. Dark cherry, earth and oak spice flavours. It has very good acids and finishes long. Should be better in 1-2 years. Score: 89
pts
PONDVIEW ESTATE VIOGNIER 2015 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#469205) (XD) - $16.95
Offers a medium+ intensity nose featuring clean
lime, white flowers, and fresh citrus. The palate is medium-bodied and dry with an oily texture that offers floral, lemon/lime, some herbally notes, and hints of honey. It has bright, fresh acids, while the finish length is medium-long. Score: 88 pts
PONDVIEW VIDAL ICEWINE 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#390351) (S) (200 mL) - $19.95
Very
inviting and highly aromatic nose that offers lovely pineapple, orange, caramelized citrus and peach aromas. It's very sweet with lovely aroma replays of citrus, peach and apricot on the medium-bodied palate, with bright acids balancing the sweetness very well. Excellent length on the finish that has notes of poached pineapples. Score: 90 pts
COLANERI STELLUCHA RIESLING 2015 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (M) - $17.95
The 2015 vintage was just
released and has a medium-high nose that is effervescent with nuances of green apple, lime, and hints of mandarin orange. It's medium-bodied with crisp, bright, refreshing acids and flavours of Flintstone vitamins, orange and pear. It's off-dry to medium-dry in sweetness with clean minerality on the long finish. Score: 89 pts
COLANERI UNITA CABERNET FRANC RESERVA 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $39.95
80%
appassimento and 22 months in barrel, this has a medium-high intensity, complex nose offering chestnut, brambly, licorice, candied cherry, currant, and blackberry aromas. It's medium-full bodied with raspberry, sweet oak vanilla, herbal spice and ripe berry aroma replays. Quite spicy. Finishes long. Score: 90 pts
CREEKSIDE BACKYARD BUBBLY SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013 - VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#398628) (D) - $24.95
Medium+ intensity featuring mineral, lemon peel and earthy funk. Bubbles are finely tuned on the medium+ bodied palate, with a nice texture and green, grass, and hints of gooseberry flavours typical or the varietal. Comes off as dry overall, with bright acids and very good length on the finish. It was released into VINTAGES on June 11 and some still available. Score: 89 pts
CREEKSIDE BACKYARD BLOCK SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015 - VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#341792) (XD) - $18.95
Medium-high intensity, but somewhat restrained nose of tropical fruit, kiwi, passion fruit, and guava. It's medium-bodied with vibrant, juicy acids with more kiwi and grass flavours, along with some gooseberry notes. Quite balanced overall. Medium-long finish. Score: 88 pts
CREEKSIDE MARIANNE HILL RIESLING 2015 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#443572) (M) - $21.95
A medium+ intensity nose offers orange and citrus aromas with a mineral component. The palate is medium-bodied with acids that are juicy and vibrant, while balancing the pleasing aroma replays in an off-dry style. There's a chalky mineral texture on the palate, while the lengthy finish ends with orange notes. Score: 88+ pts
FEATHERSTONE ROSÉ 2015 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#117861) (D) - $15.95
Bright strawberry, cherry, ripe red plums on the nose, with sweet aroma replays on the light-to-mid weighted palate. It has balanced acids and good length on the finish. Soft, easy drinking style. Score: 87 pts
FEATHERSTONE BLACK SHEEP RIESLING 2015 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#080234) (M) - $16.95
Lovely medium-high intensity nose has clean orange, citrus and some tropical fruit, mineral, apple and peach notes add complexity. It's fairly light-weighted with a slatey texture and pleasing aroma replays on the medium sweet palate. Bright acids provide freshness, while the finish length is very good. Was released into VINTAGES on August 6th. Score: 88 pts
FEATHERSTONE CABERNET FRANC 2014 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#64618) (XD) - $19.20
The medium-high intensity nose has an initial bretty/barnyard aroma that gives way to complex raspberry, bramble, spices, black cherry, and blackberry. It's medium-full bodied with complex spice-led aroma replays. Vibrant acids are well-balanced. Long, raspberry-cherry finish with hints of smoke. Tannins a bit tight at this stage - try this in 1-2 years. Score: 88 pts
The VINTAGES Release will be on LCBO shelves this and features wines trending upwards as its main theme, while the secondary theme is a small selection of German wines. The local feature has a fine selection of wines from Prince Edward County.
We'll begin with the trendy wine feature. Only 1 of the 17 wines listed in this thematic is included in my wine picks. It is the refreshing Vermentino from Sardinia that has just a kiss of sweetness - ideal for the remaining hot days of August.
The tiny German feature lists only 5 wines. However, 2 are included among my wine picks. Both of my German Riesling recommendations are on the sweeter side, with the Schloss Schönborn being sweeter than the Thörle Riesling. If you're a Riesling fan, you should pick up both of these.
In the Local Talent feature, Price Edward County is the theme and offers an excellent (albeit mini) glimpse into the region with 4 wines listed. Three of the wines are included in my wine picks - Norm Hardie's Pinot Noir, the Closson Chase Chardonnay, and a sparkling wine from Lighthall Vineyards. The sparkling wine is designated VQA Ontario, but, in fact, all the fruit (100% Vidal) is sourced from their own vineyards in The County.
From the rest of the release, the Old Vines Spanish red is a blend of Garnacha from 70+ year old vines, plus 15% Syrah, while the Rigoleto Tuscan red is a blend of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Ciliegiolo, and 15% Montepulciano. The Portuguese red wine is an unoaked blend of Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, and Touriga Nacional and comes from an estate whose story goes back more than 250 years. The mature 2005 Ontañón Gran Reserva is mostly Tempranillo with 5% Graciano added. Lastly, the Zuccardi Malbec is an interesting wine in that it was entirely fermented and aged in concrete tanks to showcase the fruit, and only available at Flagship Stores (FSE).
In white wines, the Burgundian wines are all Chardonnays above $20. The Italian white wines are under $20 and include the Soave, which is an organic wine made with 100% Garganega, a Greco from Campania, and the aforementioned Vermentino. There is also the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
Lastly, the dry rosé wine from Rhône is a blend of mostly Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault.
Enjoy my wine picks from this release! Prost!
Red Wine:
CELLER DE CAPÇANES MAS DONÍS BARRICA OLD VINES 2014 - DO Montsant, Spain (#705863) (XD) - $17.95
In my continuing series of wines tasted in May, I had the opportunity to attend the 2nd annual Ontario's Southwest City Fare that was put on by the iYellow Wine Club. This food and wine event was held at 99 Sudbury and spanned two rooms - the 99 Gallery and The Glass Factory.
The first room I entered was The Glass Factory and featured many food items. This room offered craft beer, cocktails and spirits to wash down the delicious Southwest culinary fare, but little wine. Next door, in the much larger 99 Gallery room, wine from Southwest Ontario was very well represented, along with some cheese, chocolatiers and other fine foods from the region.
I have never really been to Ontario's Southwest region except for a camping trip to Port Burwell and driving through to go to Detroit. This event was a chance to discover some of the best that Ontario's Southwest has to offer, and I definitely found some worthy places to visit when I eventually visit the area.
Coming from Toronto, my first stop would be Bright Cheese and Butter. This cheddar factory has been in business since 1874 and produces some very yummy cheese. They had four cheeses available to taste - Old Cheddar, Sizzling Hot Havarti (which is quite hot), Providence and Asiago. While I enjoyed all four, my favourites were the Old Cheddar, and the Providence which is like a mountain cheese from Switzerland. Their products are available throughout Ontario, but your best bet is to visit one of their two locations to taste and buy their freshly made cheese.
The next stop should be Habitual Chocolate, located in Woodstock and London, Ontario where you will find some amazing, authentic rustic-style chocolate bars made from single varietal cacao beans. The beans come from small family farms in exotic locations such as Costa Rica, Papua New Guinea and Nicaragua. I prefer dark chocolate and really enjoyed the 85% Amara with beans from Ivory Coast, and the 80% Don Tito from Mexican beans. Both of these chocolate bars had the richness and flavour of dark chocolate, but were not terribly bitter like some of the commercially made dark chocolate bars. Highly recommended for chocolate aficionados.
For fans of history, Chatham-Kent is an interesting place to visit. This region was part of the "Underground Railroad" - a network of secret routes used by those held in bondage to escape from slavery in the 19th century. Some of the most poignant stops on the Ontario Underground Railroad tour are historic sites in Chatham-Kent, including Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site, Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society, and the Buxton National Historic Site & Museum. You can also meet some of the descendants of those that escaped slavery and still call Chatham-Kent home. I am very much interested in this subject and personally hope to visit these sites in the future.
After a day of cheese, chocolate and sightseeing, settle into a B&B in Lake Erie North Shore wine country. The next day, spend your time visiting a few of the more than dozen wineries in the region. My favourites wines at the Ontario's Southwest City Fare were from Muscadere Vineyards, Colio Estate Winery and North 42 Degrees - all of which are located a few minutes from each other in the communities of Harrow and Colchester. Also check out Cooper's Hawk Vineyards and Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery.
On your way home, stop at Ontario's first and only brewery farm. Ramblin' Road Brewery Farm is an actual working farm with crops and a hop garden to create small batch hand-crafted local beer. I tasted a few of their beers and if you're a fan Red beers like me, check out their PurebRED Red Lager - it's a good one.
The Raging Bowl Pottery was one of the more interesting tables at this event. Alongside handmade porcelain crafts by artist Melissa Schooley was a delicious lavender-infused Balsamic Vinegar and flavoured whiskys. The flavoured whisky can be made at home when you purchase her flavoured tea bags - available in flavours such as Vanilla, Hazelnut Vanilla, Chocolate and Coffee - and soak them them in your favourite spirit. My favourite was the Hazelnut Vanilla!
For lunch (or dinner), stop at The Combine in Norfolk County. This restaurant's menu is filled with locally sourced ingredients and daily seasonal specials. Located in the home of owners Ryan and Jennifer, there is a handmade brick oven, garden and outdoor patio. I enjoyed their Perch Taco on a corn tortilla topped with butternut aioli, pickled salsa, avocado cream, and fried lemon.
Another stop to consider for a fine meal is DEBB's Cuisine on Queen in Dunnville, where they combine fresh local ingredients with a creative approach and meticulous presentation to create a memorable experience. At this event, they had a delicious Chicken Breast with Fried Goat Cheese Rice Ball that you could wash down with a Bourbon Street Caesar.
Overall, I really enjoyed the event! There weren't as many wines as I had hoped for, but the number of culinary delights and other alcoholic beverages more than made up for it. This was a very good, well-balanced event that had something for everyone, offering very good value for the price of admission.
For more information about Ontario's Southwest region, please visit their website.
Tasting Notes:
MUSCADERE VINEYARDS RIESLING 2014 - VQA Ontario, Canada (D) - $16
Lovely, lifted nose of petrol followed by stony minerality. The palate is medium-bodied with a chalky mineral texture and subtle flavours of orange, citrus, stone fruits and white peach. It has good acids and finishes long. Score: 88 pts
MUSCADERE VINEYARDS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 - VQA Lake Erie North Shore, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $30
Medium+ intensity nose, ripe fruited scents of currant, cherry, cassis, cedar oak and red & black fruits. It's shows good complexity on the full-bodied palate with very nice aroma replays along with hints of mint. It has good acids and chalky tannins. Cran-cherry finish that's long. Score: 89 pts
COLIO ESTATE BRICKLAYER'S CACHE SMALL LOT SYRAH 2012 - VQA Lake Erie North Shore, Ontario, Canada (#426676) (XD) - $29.95
Decanted and served, this has a lovely medium-to-high intensity nose of black cherry, black peppercorn, white pepper and black plum. The palate is medium-to-full bodied with smooth, silky tannins, balanced acids and very white peppery aroma replays. This has been the last vintage of this of this wine and is now available in very limited quantities. Score: 89 pts
NORTH 42 DEGREES PINOT NOIR 2013 - VQA Lake Erie North Shore, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $19.95
Medium+ intensity nose featuring black tea, cherry, strawberry, and red plum notes. The aromas are quite appealing on the light-to-medium bodied palate. It has light tannins, fresh acids and more black tea notes on the long finish. Score: 88+ pts
The next post in my continuing series of wine tastings in May is the Riesling & Co. Wines of Germany tasting that was held in at the Arcadian Loft on Bay Street.
This event tends to be one of my favourite tastings of the year because I love my Rieslings, especially the wines from Germany. And while there were plenty of delicious German Riesling wines of various sweetness levels, I was a bit disappointed with the fact that very few showed the lovely petrol nose that I was seeking. Furthermore, there seems to be a growing trend of producing more dry instead of sweet Riesling in Germany. Personally, I prefer the sweeter styles.
In addition to Riesling, there were a few delicious Pinot Noirs, such as the Thörle Saulheimer Hölle Spätburgunder 2013 (90+ pts, $60). There was also the delicious Weingut Am Stein Stettener Stein Silvaner 2014 (89 pts) and a surprising Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot blend in the Frey Assemblage 2013.
My most memorable wine of the event was a German Eiswein. This was my first time ever tasting Eiswein and it was absolutely delicious - I can see why most of it never leaves the borders of Germany (because not much is made, and what ever is made is scooped up by the locals). Wine reviews of my other favourite German wines are provided below. None of these wines are available at the LCBO, but you can contact the Agent for pricing and availability.
Tasting Notes:
RAPPENHOF NIERSTEINER OELBERG RIESLING AUSLESE 2014 - Rheinhessen, Germany (S)
Highly aromatic with wet stone, mineral, lime, peach and stone fruit. The palate is sweet with balanced aroma replays and lively acids. Excellent finish length. Contact Churchill Cellars for ordering info. Score: 93 pts
SCHLOSS SCHÖNBORN JUBILÄUM HATTENHEIMER PFAFFENBERG RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2011 - Rheingau, Germany (MS)
The nose is highly aromatic, offering peach, apricot, orange, citrus and some wet stone aromas. It's medium-bodied with bright, balanced acids and very nice aroma replays. Balanced and very long finishing. Contact H.H.D. Imports for ordering info. Score: 91 pts
REICHSGRAF VON KESSELSTATT JOSEPHSHÖFER RIESLING SPÄTLESE MONOPOL 2003 - Mosel, Germany (MS)
An effervescence wine with white peach and citrus aromas and flavours, joined by apricot, honey and mature petrol notes on the medium-sweet palate. Acids are still quite juicy, finish is long-lasting. Contact H.H.D. Imports for ordering info. Score: 91 pts
JULIUS TREIS GOLDLAY RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2015 - Mosel, Germany (MS)
Medium-high intensity nose featuring white peach, apricot, citrus, pink grapefruit and stony minerality with terrific complexity. It's medium-dry with aroma replays led by orangey citrus notes. Very well balanced with finely tuned acids, and excellent finish length. Not represented in Ontario at time of tasting. Score: 91 pts
THÖRLE SAULHEIMER SCHLOSSBERG RIESLING 2014 - Rheinhessen, Germany (D) - $50
Medium+ intensity nose with mineral and lime aromas. The medium+ bodied palate offers a chalky texture with more mineral notes, high acids, and fine length with more minerally tones. Contact Univins and Spirits to order. Score: 91 pts
BURG RAVENSBURG HUSARENKAPPE RIESLING GROSSES GEWÄCHS 2013 - Baden, Germany (D)
A single site wine from vines that are more than 40 years old, this Riesling has an appealing, highly aromatic nose of petrol, orange, apricot that's very clean. Just a touch off-dry, it has flavours of orange, peach and stony minerality. Nicely balacned with very good acidity and finishing long. Contact Halpern Wine Enterprises to order. Score: 91 pts
WEINGUT AM STEIN STETTENER STEIN RIESLING EISWEIN 2012 - Franken, Germany (S)
Highly aromatic, so intoxicating with lovely honey, apricot, and peach aromas that come from the drops I was poured. The palate is medium-bodied and very sweet with gentle acidity that balances the sweet aroma replays very well. Excellent length on the finish. Was seeking representation in Ontario. Score: 92 pts
Saturday, December 10, 2016
