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wine is a delicious Ontario Viognier that is already available at the winery, but will also be released into VINTAGES on .
EastDell Estates was founded in 1999 and sold to current owner, Diamond Estates, in 2005. The EastDell logo depicts a blue heron, which has a natural migration path across their vineyards. I'm generally not one to comment on labels, but really do like the foil blue heron on this label - it's quite intricately designed and definitely catches the eye when hitting the light. Including tonight's Viognier, the wines of EastDell are typically made in an easy-drinking style that pair well with meals.
The grapes for this wine were sourced from high quality Ontario vineyards and then gently pressed in pneumatic bladder style presses. It was then cool-fermented in stainless steel before being aged in stainless steel tanks.
Tasting Note:
EASTDELL ESTATES BLACK LABEL VIOGNIER 2014 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#443622) (D) - $17.95
Screw cap. Inviting nose of orange blossom, white flower and peach aromas. The palate is full-ish with vibrant, refreshing acids. It is just off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) with juicy floral, orange peel and white peach flavours. Finishes dry with orange peel and peach notes. Quite well-balanced overall. A fine Viognier with substance that can be enjoyed on the patio, or better yet, with chicken or a mildly spiced dish. Score: 88 pts
The 63rd Annual Niagara Wine Festival returned last month, running for three weekends from September 13 to 28. I usually attend one of the first two weekends, but this time decided to attend the final weekend of the festival. Considering the bad luck we had with weather and the annual Fall closing of the Gardiner Expressway last year, I was a little worried what might happen this time around, with no fall back date. Sadly, the Gardiner was once again closed this weekend. Fortunately for us, the weather was perfect - sunny skies and hot - as it felt like the Summer we never had. The weather more than made up for the crappy drive out of the city.
We began our journey on afternoon at GreenLane Estate Winery. This was my first visit to their "new" location, which they moved to about a year ago, and I must say is quite the step up from their old digs on South Service Road. Our first wine of the day was their 2012 Rosé - an off-dry wine that was a nice prelude to the main course. While our delicious Lake Erie Perch tacos were being freshly prepared on the grill, we were also poured their latest new release - the 2013 Winemaker's White. Slightly off-dry, this crisp, white wine with lively acids paired beautifully with the Perch tacos that were stuffed with sweet bell peppers, cucumbers, and chives, all drizzled with a chili and lime sour cream and wrapped in a soft, flour tortilla. When paired with the taco, the wine's sweet flavours shone through, while the lively acids from both the wine and taco resulted in what felt like a party in my mouth. Very enjoyable overall while sitting on their lovely outdoor patio - we could have sat there all day.
Our second stop of the afternoon was in the fermentation room at Vineland Estates Winery for pairings of chicken wings and wine. I've paired wine with wings many a time at home, but was intrigued with this winery's Icewine pairing. First, we paired the Kansas City "Big Smoke" Chipotle wings with the 2013 O'Leary Cabernet Merlot (#307744, $14.95) - a fine, comfort pairing that nicely balanced the flavourful wings with the dry, somewhat fruity, red wine that had good tannic structure. The second wine we tasted was their gorgeous Select Late Harvest Vidal (~$19, 90 pts). Very flavourful and with balanced acids, this sweet, dessert wine paired beautifully with the sweet & spicy Habanero Bourbon brown sugar wings. If you've never tried pairing sweet wines with spicy foods, I would highly encourage you to try it - as it is quite the unexpected treat.
The third stop was at a very busy Creekside Estate Winery - so busy that the parking lot was full and we had to resort to parking on the grass (sorry about that!). Likely due to the growing popularity of Niagara's Grape & Wine Festival, waiting for clean glasses seemed to be a developing trend today. After clean glasses finally arrived, we tasted the 2011 Laura's White (#121764, $18.95, 87 pts) while waiting for freshly baked French Onion tarts - caramelized onions and black olives deglazed with red wine and served on a puff pastry. By the time the tarts arrived, we had already moved on to 2011 Laura's Red (#117960, $19.95, 88 pts). This red wine paired well with good acids, medium-level of tannins, and a flavour profile that complemented the tart. I believe the tart would have also paired well with Laura's White.
We then made our way outside to begin a tour of the winery. Our host, David, led us to the vineyards located just west of the tasting room where they grow Sauvignon Blanc for their Reserve line - grapes which we actually got to taste on this day! The tour brought us through their crush pad, grape sorter and de-stemmer, and finishing off in the underground barrel cellar. We returned to the tasting room at the conclusion of the tour to taste a few more wines, including a couple of my favourites of the day - the 2012 Reserve Viognier and 2011 Broken Press Syrah (reviews below).
Our last winery visit of the day was at Konzelmann Estate Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake. It was a very festive atmosphere on this day as the winery was celebrating it's own Wine Fest with outdoor live music and food trucks. It was very busy, so we headed straight inside to pick up our generously-sized creamy apple-spiced cheesecake on a graham cracker crust and topped sweet caramel drizzle. This delicious cheesecake was paired with their yummy 2013 Special Select Late Harvest Vidal - a medium-sweet dessert wine with fresh acidity that balanced the sweetness and cut through the creaminess of the cheesecake. Not bad way to finish off a Saturday!
began with a visit to PondView Estate Winery. We arrived before noon, which was the perfect time to enjoy lamb in a creamy curry and savoury spices, combined with potatoes, onion, cilantro and served over basmati rice. It was paired with their 2011 Bella Terra Barrel Fermented Chardonnay ($25.95, 89 pts), the same wine I tasted last September. I approached this food and wine pairing with great enthusiasm, but came away somewhat disappointed. The Chardonnay held up well to the red meat, but the lamb curry was very dry and lacked flavour. Last year's food pairing was much more enjoyable. On the plus side, food portions were once again quite generous.
The second stop of the day was at Pillitteri Estates Winery for some comfort food and wine. But first, Jeff Letvenuk - Marketing and Media Manager, took us on a very interesting tour of the winery that traces its roots back to 1965 as a small fruit farm. Our tour began in the Awards Room, where Jeff introduced us to the Caretto - an original Sicilian Cart brought from Italy by (founder) Gary Pillitteri's mother. This Caretto is intricately painted and designed and is now considered a family heirloom as it has been passed down many generations. As we moved outside to the vineyard, we stopped at the Wall of Icewine showcase that displayed the many Icewines that Pillitteri had produced over the years, including their first ever Icewine - a gold medal winning 1988 Vidal Icewine. Today, Pillitteri is the largest Estate producer of Icewine. After walking among the vines, we proceed to the fermentation room and cellar. En route, it was fascinating to see Gary keep one of the original cherry trees that was on this site prior to his arrival in 1965. The wine barrel cellar is a gem of a private space that is used exclusively by the family. All throughout the tour, from the name of the tasting rooms to the intricate details found in the chairs inside the barrel cellar, we could see that family was very important to Gary.
After we finished admiring the cellar room, we headed back upstairs and outside towards the patio to enjoy Chef Collin Goodine's famous 'baked potato' poutine. I paired my poutine with Pillitteri's heavily oaked 2010 Cabernet Franc ($20.20, 87 pts) - a pairing that was comforting in a very comfortable setting. The poutine was delicious, while the red wine's balanced acids complemented the sour cream and fries quite well. We also tasted some fabulous, premium+ red wines from Pillitteri's lineup - reviews and recommendations are below.
Niagara College Teaching Winery was our third stop of the day. Here, we enjoyed a freshly baked Smoked Onion and Upper Canada Niagara Gold Cheese Tartlette, which was paired with their 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (#121715, $18.95, 87 pts). The tannins from the Cab helped cut into the creaminess from the cheese and kept everything nicely balanced. Sundays tend to be quieter in Niagara, and today was no exception. We ended up sitting outside on NCT's lovely patio for quite some time, sampling a few wines while the autumn sun basked in the sky.
The next stop was an unplanned visit to Vieni Estates. This winery has been on my radar for the last year, but I never quite made it to the site. Furthermore, a conversation with Oenoapp prior to the weekend had me seriously considering a stop, time permitting. Vieni was serving a roasted garlic, butternut squash lasagna, layered with mozzarella, parmigiano and pecorino cheese, which I paired with their tasty 2012 Chardonnay (reviewed below). The lasagne was thinly layered, but tasted great and felt like it was homemade. It was generously portioned and paired well with the Chardonnay, leading to a very satisfying experience overall. Manager Steven DiMora was kind enough to give us a quick tour of the facilities, while giving us some insight into their future plans which include a made-in-Ontario Amarone-style of wine that I am definitely looking forward to tasting.
Our final stop of this trip was at Legends Estates Winery for a different take on lasagna - homemade vegetable lasagna cupcakes that were creamy and colourful. These lasagna cupcakes were a good size and really did look like cupcakes, topped with cheese and crunchy vegetables. It was savoury and paired well with a variety of their white wines, including the 2013 Semillon ($16.95, 87 pts) and a 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve ($19.50, 86 pts) that is holding up quite well at 4 years old.
Aside from waiting for clean glasses and treats to be freshly baked, it was a very enjoyable weekend in Niagara with no hiccups and great weather. I noticed that portion sizes for nearly all the food items were generously (and appropriately) portioned. By the end, my stomach was joyously satisfied and did not feel the need to stop at a Tim Horton's. As for the wine, the quality keeps getting better and better. Red wines from the 2012 vintage are showing great structure and complexity, with very good ageing potential. I was pleasantly surprised by Creekside's Syrah and Viognier, as well as some of the higher-end wines from Pillitteri.
Lastly, thank you to all the wineries for your excellent hospitality - it was very much appreciated!
Tasting Notes: GREENLANE WINEMAKER'S WHITE 2013 - (D) - $16.95
This white wine is a blend of Chardonnay and Riesling with floral, lime and green apple aromas of medium intensity. It's light-bodied with crisp, refreshing acids, and tropical fruits notes on the palate, along with pleasing, mineral-driven aroma replays. Finish is lightly spiced. Score: 86 pts
GREENLANE CABERNET FRANC 2012 - (XD) - $23.95
Medium+ intensity aromas showing a very complex nose of red berries, currants, bramble, coconut and vanillan. Medium+ bodied with nice aroma replays and light brettyness. Very good acids, while firm tannins are silky smooth, yet could use some softening. Finish is medium-long. Score: 88 pts
CREEKSIDE RESERVE VIOGNIER 2012 - Queenston Road Vineyard, VQA St. David's Bench (XD) - $29.95
Aromas of medium intensity with notes of elderflower, honeysuckle, and elegant peach and mineral. Full-bodied palate that is creamy and slightly oily, with very nice aroma replays. Acids are nicely balanced, while the spiced mid-palate continues on the lengthy finish. Score: 89 pts
CREEKSIDE BROKEN PRESS SYRAH 2011 - Queenston Road Vineyard, VQA St. David's Bench (#202127) (XD) - $39.95
Includes 5-8% Viognier. Highly aromatic with meaty, black peppercorn, and blackberry aromas with hints of floral and mushroom. It's palate is medium+ bodied, showing elegant aroma replays and taut tannins. Very nicely balanced, mouth-watering acids and long finishing. Would cellar this 2-3 years. Score: 91 pts
KONZELMANN SPECIAL SELECT LATE HARVEST VIDAL 2013 - (#359216) (MS) (375mL) - $20.95
Highly aromatic nose of apricots, peach, and honey which replay on the medium-sweet palate, along with some lime zest. It's medium-bodied with balanced, fresh acids and excellent length on the finish. Score: 90 pts
PILLITTERI EXCLAMATION CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake (#) (XD) - $50.20
Highly aromatic with plenty of cassis, blackcurrant and camphor notes. On the palate, it's full-bodied with very nice aroma replays joined by some wood flavours. Has mouth-watering acids, and smooth, sinewy tannins that are very nicely integrated. Lengthy finish has dark chocolate and wood nuances. Score: 91 pts
PILLITTERI FAMILY RESERVE TRIVALENTE 2005 - VQA Niagara Peninsula (#) (XD) - $98.20
Blend of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc and Merlot that is highly aromatic with a savoury nose of barnyard, tilled earth, dark berries and plum. It's full-bodied with crushed red & dark berries, dark chocolate, and elegantly balanced (French) oak on the palate. Very good acids, smooth integrated tannins and lengthy finish. Score: 92 pts
PILLITTERI RESERVE CABERNET FRANC ICEWINE 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula (#) (S) - ~$70?
Gorgeous, highly intense aromas of strawberry, cherry and hints of caramel with very nice aroma replays. Crisp, balanced acids keep the sweetness in check. Long, smooth finish. Score: 92 pts
NIAGARA COLLEGE TEACHING WINERY (NCT) DEAN'S LIST CHARDONNAY 2010 - VQA St. David's Bench (#040659) (XD) - $27.95
Nose somewhat closed but showed interesting butterscotch, sweet pear, bubblegum and pineapple aromas. Medium-to-full bodied and creamy mouthfeel with pineapple, bubblegum, and oak spice flavours on the palate. Good acids, while the finishing long, smooth, and toasty. Score: 89 pts
NCT CABERNET FRANC 2010 - Donald Ziraldo Vineyard, VQA St. David's Bench (#) (XD) - $19.15
Medium intensity nose showing elegant oak, bramble, mulberry and pomegranate aromas with good fruit/oak balanced on the palate. It's full-bodied with astringent tannins that could use at least 2 years in cellar. Finish is long and warming. Score: 88 pts
NCT DEAN'S LIST CABERNET FRANC 2011 - VQA St. David's Bench (#) (XD) - $28.15
Aromas of medium-high intensity with elegant oak, crushed red berries, black cherry and plummy notes. It's medium-to-full bodied with crushed red & blue fruits, tilled earth, and vanillan spice flavours on the palate. Good acids and a long, warm finish. Score: 89 pts
VIENI CHARDONNAY 2012 - VQA Vinemount Ridge (#) (D) - $22.95
Low-to-medium intensity nose featuring pear and apple aromas, along with a whiff of smoke. Full-bodied with sweet ripe fruits, apple, coconut, butterscotch and pineapple flavours. very good acids. Spiced mid-palate continues on the long finish. Score 88 pts
VIENI CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE 2010 - VQA Vinemount Ridge (#373308) (XD) - $22.95
Medium-high intensity aromas with savoury notes of barnyard, tilled earth and black currant. It's full-bodied with nice aroma replays. Balanced acids to go along with smooth, integrated tannins and long finish. Score: 89+ pts
LEGENDS ESTATES PETIT VERDOT RESERVE 2007 - VQA Niagara Peninsula (#002776) (XD) - $22.95
Aromas of medium+ intensity with crushed blackberries, mint/eucalypt and earthy nose. It's full-bodied with lovely aroma replays and good balance throughout. Has very good acids and firm tannins. Finish is elegantly spiced and lengthy. Score: 89 pts
LEGENDS ESTATES CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE 2012 - Lizak Vineyard, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore (#) (XD) - $21.90
Highly aromatic nose showing grilled pepper, earthy, black cherry, and cassis notes, while the flavour profiles echoes the aromas very nicely. The palate is full-bodied with firm tannins and mouth-watering acids. Will be better in 2-3 years. Score: 90+ pts
On , I visited Napa Valley for the second time in the last 2 years. After visiting quite a few wineries along the Silverado Trail during my first visit, I decided that I wanted to visit more wineries off the trail this time around.
The first stop on this hot and sunny Monday was The Hess Collection Winery, located within the Mount Veeder sub-appellation within Napa Valley. I had tasted Hess Collection wines last year at the Napa Valley tasting in Toronto and felt the wines they offered that day represented relatively good value and figured I would see more good value at the winery - and I was not disappointed.
The site on which The Hess Collection sits was established as a winery in the 1860's. Fast forward to 1978, where Donald Hess established his first Mount Veeder vineyard. Hess Collection now owns 1,034 acres of prime California vineyards, including 704 acres in Napa Valley. The tasting room and art museum are located on Redwood Road, west of St. Helena Highway and the famous Silverado Trail. It is reachable after driving approximately 10-15 minutes on a narrow, long and winding, uphill road.
Since its inception, The Hess Collection has tried to use sustainable and environmentally-sound practices for growing grapes. In 2008, The Hess Collection was among the first 10 wineries to receive certification for the Napa Green Winery program and one of only six wineries to have both Land and Winery certifications. Two years later, they were among the first wineries to be certified through the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance by third-party verification.
Due to arriving a bit later than expected because of late-morning traffic, I didn't have time to do a very in-depth tasting, but did get a chance to taste some wonderful wines nonetheless. My favourite was the 2010 Mount Veeder 19 Block Cuvée. This special wine comes from 19 blocks from their highest altitude estate vineyard (Veeder Summit Vineyard), with altitudes ranging from 1,300 to 2,000 feet above sea level and features steep slopes and volcanic soils. Overall, this red wine is intensely flavoured, complex and ageable for at least 4 years, although you will be tempted to enjoy it now.
Full wine reviews of many of the wines I tasted on this day are available at the bottom of this post.
For our second stop of the afternoon, we ventured back east along the aforementioned Redwood Road, passed St. Helena Hwy and the Silverado Trail, towards the eastern side of Napa Valley
Upon arriving at the front gate at Palmaz Vineyards, I realized that we were going to be in for something special. After being let in through the gate, driving by a former gatehouse, and up 4 levels along a steep and twisty road on Mount George, we arrived at the main entrance and were promptly greeted by Diana Lasso, National Estate Ambassador at Palmaz Vineyards and our guide on this visit.
We began the tour outside the main entrance on level 4, overlooking the vineyards and the said gatehouse, while having an expansive view of the Napa landscape. Diana began by telling us about the rich history surrounding the property that began its story as Cedar Knoll Vineyard and Winery by Henry Hagen in 1881. Henry was one of the Napa Valley's pioneer winemakers, and his wines garnered many awards. Unfortunately, Prohibition forced the winery to close and the site laid dormant for nearly 80 years.
In 1997, soon after Julio and Amalia Palmaz purchased the property, they began to restore it and accomplish a shared dream. Those in the medical profession may recognize the name "Julio Palmaz" - he invented the now widely used coronary heart stent.
We were also informed that the former gatehouse we saw upon entering the estate was restored and is now the home of Christian Gaston Palmaz, Director of Operations, and son of Julio and Amalia. He lives there with his wife Jessica Louise Palmaz.
Dr. Julio Palmaz had great interest in mechanics and engineering and played an integral role in designing Palmaz Vineyards' gravity-flow winery. Inside, we got to see the grape sorter that he helped design - it was quite versatile as it was able to sort different sizes of grapes with relative ease. Being a gravity-fed winery, the grapes arrive at the top to be sorted and de-stemmed and then proceed on an ever downward path and eventually bottled. The height of the cave is equivalent to an 18-storey building. We got a glimpse of this depth in the stairwell, looking down the centre of the staircase.
Once the grapes are sorted, they go down one level and into fermentation tanks. The dome in which these tanks are housed is 72 feet in diameter and 54 feet high and is the world's largest underground reinforced structure. One can truly appreciate the design and beauty of the dome when looking up from Level 3, where the fermentation tanks are held. The cave also houses its own water treatment plant, resulting in reuse of all waste water and in compliance with strict conservation guidelines.
Next, we went down another level to Level 2 and visited the barrel ageing room, as well as the racking area. During the whole tour, I couldn't help but notice that everything was SO clean - the level of cleanliness appeared to be medical-grade and seemed cleaner than some hospitals I've been to.
By now, I think we were all salivating at the thought of finally tasting the wines after being awestruck by the facility. We entered the classically-styled dining room and sat down at a long, very grandiose, dining table. Diane took us through the tasting menu as we paired four wines with bite-sized treats.
The pairings were all very well done, but my favourite was the Muscat Canelli with the Almond and Apricot biscotti. This wine also paired well with the Dark Chocolate Cabernet Truffle, while the two Cabernets also fared very well with the chocolate truffle. My favourite wine was the '09 Cabernet Sauvignon with it's classic aromas and flavours, smooth, velvety tannins, mouth-watering acids all nicely balanced into one cohesive wine. It paired really well with the Piave Vecchio (hard, cow's milk cheese).
If you are ever in Napa, I would highly recommend adding Palmaz Vineyards to your itinerary as it is truly an amazing winery. Note that tours and tastings are available by appointment only.
The third stop of the day was Miner Family Winery, located on the scenic Silverado Trail. Most of our group appeared to arrive at Miner breathless due to the amazing experience at Palmaz. This resulted in only a few of us partaking in the tasting on Miner's lovely upper deck patio with a sweeping view of vineyards located in the Oakville AVA.
The Miner Family Winery brand was born in 1996, three years after Dave Miner got his start in wine as President of Oakville Ranch Vineyards - a winery owned by his late uncle, Robert Miner. In 1999, Dave and his wife Emily purchased the winery building from his family and released the first Miner Family wines. That same year, a 15-month project to build caves concluded, resulting in over 20,000+ square feet of space they could now use for wine ageing. Impressively, since 2008, Miner has been running exclusively on solar power. Next time, I think a tour will be in order to see first-hand some of these impressive accomplishments.
In all, we tasted 5 wines (+1 one more that only I tasted inside at the bar) from what appeared to be a specially crafted menu just for us. All 5 wines were very good to outstanding in quality, with the favourite being aptly named "The Oracle". This Bordeaux-blend is their flagship wine that was first made in 2004. The 2008 version of this fabulous red wine was most recently in Vintages last October, and I expect the 2009 will be available at some point later this year.
Our final stop of the afternoon was a quick and unplanned visit to Priest Ranch Wines. This winery had a rustic, Western charm and was conveniently located just off St. Helena Hwy in the town of Yountville, en route back to home base.
Priest Ranch was originally part of the 8,500-acre Rancho Catacula Mexican land grant that took place in 1844 and remained in the Priest family for over a century until it was sold in 1963. In 2006, Priest Ranch became part of the Somerston Estate.
Tasting through a flight of wines and meeting Jack Edwards, Vice President of Sales, my favourite wines were the Syrah and the Bordeaux-blend Coachgun. Ironically, neither of these wines are currently available at the LCBO, but perhaps may make an appearance in the future, while the others I tasted have made their way onto LCBO shelves. On my next visit, I think I will make a point to visit Somerston Estate to experience their all-terrain vineyard tour and taste some of their limited production wines.
Given the quality of the small sampling of just 2 Syrahs I tasted on this trip, I will definitely be seeking out more Syrah from Napa. Currently the 6th most planted grape in California, I would love to see Syrah move up a couple of places and become more widely planted.
And finally, a big thank you to Megan Basten at Profile Wine Group, who helped arrange the visits to Palmaz Vineyards and Miner Family Winery, while also introducing me to Somerston Estate.
Tasting Notes: HESS SMALL BLOCK VIOGNIER 2012 - Mount Veeder, Napa Valley (#) (XD) - $28
Aromas are of medium+ intensity and show fresh notes of clean lime, citrus and nectarine. Medium+ bodied with a very oily and slightly chalky texture on the palate. 14.5% alcohol by volume (abv). Good acids and a long finish. Tingly mouth sensation is numbing. Serve well-chilled. Score: 89 pts
HESS MOUNT VEEDER CHARDONNAY 2012 - Mount Veeder, Napa Valley (#) (XD) - $40
Did not undergo malolactic fermentation and was aged in neutral French oak. Medium-intensity aromas which show orchard fruits, pear and white peach notes. Medium-bodied on the palate with nicely balanced aroma replays and mineral notes. Good acids. Elegant spice on the long finish. Score: 90 pts
HESS ALLOMI VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 - Napa Valley (#906420) (XD) - $30 USD / $37.95 CAD
Aged in American oak and contains 10% Petite Sirah and 2% Petit Verdot. Medium+ aroma intensity with ripe fruits, plum, cherry notes. Medium+ bodied with integrated tannins on palate with flavours of cassis, plum, pepper, and spice. Good acids and a long, warm finish. Score: 89 pts
HESS MOUNT VEEDER 19 BLOCK CUVÉE 2010 - Mount Veeder, Napa Valley (#018879) (D) - $38 USD / $47.95 CAD
Blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Malbec, 11% Syrah, 6% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. Medium-high intensity aromas that show complex bretty, red fruits, black currant, and tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied with flavours consisting of blackberry, black cherry, vanilla, green pepper and oak spice. Mouth-watering acids and finishing long with tobacco and slight earthy notes. Dry tannins are nicely integrated. Enjoyable over the next 4 years. Score: 91 pts
PALMAZ CHARDONNAY "AMALIA" 2012 - Napa Valley (#) (XD) - $55
Highly aromatic with elegant apple, pear and butter aromas. Nice and creamy on the medium-bodied palate with very nice aroma replays. Well-balanced overall with a long, long finish that is slightly warm and has some subtle spice notes. Score: 91 pts
PALMAZ ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009 - Napa Valley (#) (XD) - $145
Contains 1% Petit Verdot. Aromas are very expressive, showing currant, cassis, blackberry and slight brettiness. It's medium-full bodied with nicely balanced aroma replays. Mouth-watering acids to go along with smooth, velvety tannins on the palate. Long, smooth finish. Balanced wine overall. A delight. Score: 93 pts
PALMAZ ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010 - Napa Valley (#) (XD) - $120
Include 3% Petit Verdot. Highly aromatic with elegant barnyard, cassis and currant aromas. Palate is full-bodied with black currants, earthiness and black cherry flavours. Mouth-watering acids and tannins that are smooth and integrating nicely. Lengthy finish. Nicely balanced. Would give this another in bottle for everything to come together. Score: 92 pts
PALMAZ MUSCAT CANELLI "FLORENCIA" 2012 - Napa Valley (#) (MS) - $55
Medium+ aromas with elegant peach, tropical fruit, and melon aromas. Fresh, clean, orange citrus and peach flavour profile that is medium-dry. Has crisp acids and a long finish that is slightly oily in texture. Score: 90 pts
MINER THE ILIAD 2012 - Napa Valley (#) (XD) - $30
Blend of 54% Marsanne, 40% Roussanne, and 6% Viognier. Medium-high intensity aromas featuring clean herbal, pear, and florals. On the mineral-driven palate, there are aroma replays and crisp acids. Finish is long with herbal notes in play. Score: 89 pts
MINER WILD YEAST CHARDONNAY 2010 - Napa Valley (#) (XD) - $50
Highly aromatic with apple, butter, and pear notes with hints of butterscotch. Medium+ bodied on the palate with crisp acids and nice aroma replays along with hints of crème brûlée. Texture is creamy with a finish that's long and smooth. A little high in alcohol at 14.3%. Score: 90 pts
MINER ROSELLA'S VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2011 - Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey (#) (XD) - $60
Aromas are of medium+ intensity and show strawberry, cherry and citrus on the nose. It's low-to-medium weighted with crisp acids. Warm red berries, hint of earth on the palate. Slightly astringent. Very fruit-driven and finishing long. Score: 89 pts
MINER LA DILIGENCE SYRAH 2009 - Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa Valley (#) (XD) - $40
Medium+ aromas with nose consisting of blueberry preserve, purple fruits, and bacon. Medium-full bodied with warm, black fruits, meaty, peppercorn and subtle smoke on the palate. Mouth-watering acids and finishing long, and smooth. Tannins are nicely integrated. Made in a northern Rhône style, this very nice wine is drinkable now or can be enjoyed over the next 2-3 years. Score: 90+ pts
MINER CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2011 - Napa Valley (#) (XD) - $50
Contains 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Merlot. Grilled green pepper and currants show on the highly aromatic nose. Full-bodied with finely-grained tannins, aromas replay on the palate joined by herbal notes and some oak. Mouth-watering acids and a very long finish. Score: 89 pts
MINER THE ORACLE 2009 - Napa Valley (#046367) (XD) - $90 USD / $99.95 CAD
Barrel aged in 55% new French Oak blend consisting of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot, 5% Malbec, and 5% Petit Verdot. Elegant oak, currant, cassis, vanillan and red berry notes make up the medium+ intensity bouquet. It's full-bodied with red currant, leather and sweet tobacco flavours and a spicy mid-palate. Has good acids, drying tannins and a lengthy finish. Drinking well now, could be enjoyed until 2019. Score: 91 pts
PRIEST RANCH SYRAH 2009 - Somerston Vineyard, Napa Valley (#) (XD) - $38
Aromas are of medium intensity with nose consisting of peppercorn, oak and dark fruits. It's full-bodied with very good acids and flavours of peppercorn, blueberry and vanillan oak. Slightly chalky tannins. Long and spicy finish. Very much Old World style. Enjoyable now, but will reward in 2-3 years. Score: 89-90 pts
PRIEST RANCH CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2011 - Somerston Vineyard, Napa Valley (#361097) (XD) - $48 USD / $52 CAD
Contains 5% Petit Sirah. Highly aromatic with green pepper and red currant nose. Medium-full bodied with aroma replays on the palate joined by cassis and minty complexity. Dry, chalky tannins and long, slightly warm finish. Could use 2-3 years in cellar. Score: 89 pts
PRIEST RANCH PETITE SIRAH 2010 - Somerston Vineyard, Napa Valley (#361105) (XD) - $40 USD / $52 CAD
Medium+ intensity nose with mulberry, currants, dried fruit and mint aromas. Medium-bodied with eucalyptus, spice, blackberry and sweet vanillan flavours on the palate. Tannins are crunchy, big, and smooth. Very good acids and slightly warm finish. Score: 89 pts
PRIEST RANCH COACHGUN 2008 - Somerston Vineyard, Napa Valley (#) (XD) - $75
Blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, and 10% Petit Verdot. This mature red has medium-high intensity aromas that has a nose consisting of dried fruits, mint, and raisined notes. Full-bodied on the palate with nice aroma replays along with dark fruits, sweet cassis, and eucalyptus flavour profile. Finish is long and warm. Score: 90+ pts
Note: All prices are in USD, unless otherwise stated.
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
