Creekside Red Tractor Cabernet/Merlot 2020 (Niagara) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a delicious Cabernet-Merlot from Niagara that returned to the LCBO over the weekend as part of the March 4 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Red Tractor Wines are produced by Creekside Estate Winery. This new world wine brand was established by Creekside in 2011 to celebrate the past, present, and future of farming in Ontario. The red tractor symbol comes from an old Massey Harris tractor that Creekside owns and serves as a symbol of the hard work required to farm the vineyards. Red Tractor Wines honours this hard work and salutes their family of growers.

The grapes used to craft Red Tractor Wines are sourced from family farms across the Niagara Peninsula - because place matters. The wines pay homage to the vineyards and growers such as the Serluca and Smith Families, as they work alongside these second-generation farmers as they push the boundaries on innovation and lead with sustainable farming practices.

And thinking ahead to International Women's Day, which is held annually on March 8th, Yvonne Irvine leads the winemaking for Red Tractor Wines. She has over 12-years of viticultural and winemaking experience, and works closely with the family of growers while embracing the honest, hard-work required to grow and harvest quality fruit. Each vintage is a labour of love as she celebrates the growers by crafting their fruit into strong, powerful wines.

I was first introduced to Red Tractor Wines in 2019 when they launched their first Cabernet/Merlot and Cabernet Franc wines. The range now also includes a Shiraz Cabernet and a Chardonnay. While the 2017 vintage of this red wine blend was Merlot-based, this particular vintage is composed of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon (47%) and Merlot (46%), plus 7% Cabernet Franc to complete the blend. This blend celebrates the vineyards of the Niagara Peninsula and the growers that have shaped the landscape. The grapes were harvested from three vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake. It was vinified and aged in separate small lots, and then blended after 16 months in barrel.

From the near-perfect 2020 growing season that provided structure, ripeness, and longevity to age, let's see how this 2020 Bordeaux-blend from Niagara is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CREEKSIDE RED TRACTOR CABERNET/MERLOT 2020 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#11851) (D) - $17.95
A blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc, this has an attractive, medium-high intensity nose that offers ripe black currant, cassis, black cherry, chocolate, and oak spice aromas with some earthy undertones and a touch of olive. On the medium-full bodied palate it has ripe, dark currant, cassis, black cherry, plum, and earthy oak spice flavours supported by fresh acidity. Structured tannins are gritty textured and quite drying, while savoury earth, cedary, and cocoa notes linger on the finish, with very good length. Enjoy this recommended buy with big red meats. Score: 88+ pts

Other delicious Red Tractor Wines are available direct from Creekside Estate Winery in Niagara.

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Creekside Laura's Red 2018 (Niagara) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is the latest vintage of a terrific red blend from Niagara that arrived at the LCBO last weekend as part of the February 4 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Creekside Estate Winery in small-town Jordan, Ontario, within the Niagara Peninsula. Creekside was founded in 1997 by Laura McCain and has a been a leader in producing distinctive, premium wines, and introducing grape varieties to Niagara that have expanded the horizons of the region. They are also known for their eclectic blends such as this wine - Laura's Blend - which has been made since the winery's founding in the late 90s.

Today, Creekside is owned by Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Inc., but they are still led by the same group of passionate (and some say fanatical) group of industry veterans, chief among them winemaker Rob Power, who have decades of experience in their respective fields. The team of self-described cork dorks love what they do, and have fun doing it.

This lovely red wine is always a blend whose exact composition changes with each vintage, but always consists of red vinifera varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, and often includes other varieties as well, with the end goal of creating the best wine possible. This particular edition was meticulously crafted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Syrah to create a wine with structure and ageing potential, but also with a core of good fruit that can also be enjoyed in its youth.

The 2018 growing season in Niagara was one of the most difficult vintages ever in terms of weather calamities with a hot summer season and very little rain, followed by rain, rain, and more rain mid-harvest. However, this didn't seem to impact grape quality too much as the resulting wines were all quite good in a moderate climate idiom. Let's see how this 2018 red wine from Niagara is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CREEKSIDE LAURA'S RED 2018 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#117960) (XD) - $25.00
Screw cap. This blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot, and 2% Syrah has a fragrant, open, and medium-high intensity nose that delivers a fine, complex mix of red & black fruits, currant, cassis, oak spices, and grilled herbs with savoury earth undertones. It's medium to medium-full bodied on the dry palate with ripe black cherry, peppery spice, grilled herbs, currant, and cassis flavours all supported by fresh acidity and grainy textured, lightly grippy tannins. Flavours taper to savoury, chocolate, and oak spice notes on the finish, with very good length. A delicious, recommended buy! Score: 89 pts

Other lovely wines by Creekside are widely available at LCBO outlets across Ontario, and direct from the winery in Niagara.

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Creekside Iconoclast Syrah 2020 (Niagara) - Wine Review

For tonight's red wine review, I am sipping local with this lovely Niagara Syrah that arrived at the LCBO a couple of months ago as part of the October 8th LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Founded in 1997 by Laura McCain in Jordan, Ontario, and acquired by Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Inc. last August, Creekside Estate Winery has been a leader in producing premium wines of distinctive, eclectic blends, and introducing grape varieties to Niagara that have expanded the horizons of the region. The winery is run by a passionate, and some say fanatical, group of industry veterans, including winemaker Rob Power, who have decades of experience in their respective fields. The team of self-described cork dorks love what they do, and have fun doing it. Early on, Creekside was outside of the mainstream fold as their signature wines were Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah - neither very common in Niagara back then.

Creekside first began extensively planting Syrah in the late 1990's. With each passing vintage, they witnessed first-hand the grape's huge potential and now, more than two decades later, Syrah is what Creekside is best known for. With the grape's popularity surging and having garnered many awards over the years, Creekside has developed a reputation as a pioneer in Canadian Syrah.

This particular bottling is from Creekside's Iconoclast range of wines. Iconoclasts in history are those that ignore conventional practice and lead the charge for change, and the Iconoclast bottlings reflect that pioneering spirit.

Personally, I'm a big fan of Syrah in general, and have been a Niagara Syrah wine lover for many years now. I've enjoyed quite a few previous vintages of this wine over the years, last writing about the 2012 Creekside Iconoclast Niagara Syrah a few years ago, and am ecstatic to see what this latest vintage tastes like. This wine always includes a dollop of Viognier, and for the 2020 vintage it is a co-fermented blend of 99.4% Syrah and 0.6% Viognier. All of the fruit for this wine was selected from their Queenston Road Vineyard's three nuanced blocks in the VQA St. David’s Bench sub-appellation of Niagara-on-the-Lake, an area that is typically warmer than where the winery is located and offers a slightly longer growing season that is ideal for Syrah. The Queenston Road Vineyard is known as the birthplace of the Syrah-volution in Niagara. The grapes were fermented in stainless steel tanks and individual fruit bins. It was aged for 19 months in mostly older, neutral oak, and mostly French with a little bit of Hungarian and American.

From the highly-acclaimed 2020 vintage that has been described as one of the best ever with wines showing elegance and balance, let's see how this 2020 Niagara Syrah is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CREEKSIDE ICONOCLAST SYRAH 2020 - VQA St. David's Bench, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#471797) (XD) - $25.00
A co-fermented blend of 99.4% Syrah and 0.6% Viognier enclosed by screw cap. Ripe, fragrant, and wonderfully perfumed aromas of great intensity rise out of the glass with dark berry, black pepper, spices, meaty, and dark plum notes with hints of purple fruit and florals. It's medium-full bodied, ripe and quite chewy on the palate with lovely, balanced aroma replays supported by fresh acidity and ripe, firm, and grainy tannins. Finishes long, juicy, and minerally with subtle smoky notes. Enjoyable now, but will reward ageing and drink well over the next 5 years or so. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91 pts

Other lovely wines by Creekside are available at the LCBO and direct through the winery in Niagara.

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The Wine-demic Pack by Creekside (Niagara) - Wine Reviews

Tonight's wine reviews are a limited release set of 6 lovely and unique VQA wines called The Wine-demic Pack that were crafted by Niagara's Creekside Estate Winery and launched in April. Although things are improving of late, The Wine-demic Pack recognizes some of the daily adjustments we've all had to make while living through these difficult times.

As Andrew Howard, President of Creekside Estate Winery says, "Great wine and a sense of humour is in our DNA at Creekside, so we've combined them together to create a fun and delicious box of wine that we call our Pandemic Pack (aka Wine-demic Pack). While we won't solve any of life's real problems with this collection, we think that a sense of humour and some very good wine can help to make the current struggles a little less formidable." As these are stressful times for a lot of people, Creekside is donating a portion of the proceeds from these wines to support local mental health services.

The Wine-demic Pack Collection includes 6 delicious and unique VQA wines (reviewed below), with each wine highlighting a different aspect of pandemic living, and while the labels and names are fun in nature, the wines are no joke! You can get this Collection, which includes one of each bottle for a total of 6 bottles for $125 at the winery in Jordan, Ontario, as well as through their online store for free home delivery anywhere in the province.

Tasting Notes:

THE WINE-DEMIC PACK SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019 - VQA Ontario, Canada (XD)
Laggy wifi patience enhancer

Intense, fresh, ripe, tropical fruit aromas of guava, kiwi, passion fruit, and lemon citrus. It's medium+ bodied on the fleshy, slightly creamy palate with lovely tropical fruit and citrus aroma replays, along with some saline notes. It has fresh acidity, while the finish has touches of saline mineral notes, with very good length. Score: 90+ pts

THE WINE-DEMIC PACK PINOT GRIS 2019 - VQA Ontario, Canada (XD)
Every day is ground hog day is every day

Pours a medium-deep gold colour. The medium+ intensity nose has a slightly funky nose of peach and stone fruit aromas. It's medium+ bodied on the palate with more peach and stone fruits flavours joined by honeyed notes in a dry flavour profile. Acids are well-balanced, while more peach and stone fruit notes come through on the dry finish, with good length. Score: 88 pts

THE WINE-DEMIC PACK RAZZLE DAZZLE RIESLING 2020 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (M)
Vaccination celebration libation

Bottled under Stelvin screw cap, this Charmat-method sparkling wine is made with Riesling and offers a fragrant nose of ripe peach, apple, citrus, and apricot with touches of white floral aromas, with lovely replays on the semi-sweet palate and frothy mousse with fresh acidity that brightens the palate. Very good length with more apple, floral, and touches of honey lingering on the finish. Score: 89 pts

THE WINE-DEMIC PACK ROSÉ 2020 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD)
Spousal tolerance enhancement beverage

This blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris has fresh, medium-high intensity aromatics with ripe raspberry, cranberry, strawberry, cherry, and herbal notes. It's medium-full bodied on the weighty, dry palate with fairly complex currant, cranberry, cherry, strawberry, and herbal flavours joined by orange zest nuances. It has very good acidity and a slightly tannic presence. Lovely herbal, currant, and red berry notes linger on the crisp, dry finish, with very good length. Score: 90+ pts

THE WINE-DEMIC PACK SYRAH 2019 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD)
Fuzzy face and furry legs acceptance tonic

The medium+ intensity nose has funky, meaty aromas layered over dark fruit and black peppercorn. It's medium+ bodied on the palate with fresh acids and smooth, rounded, slightly dusty textured tannins that support the savoury, earthy, dark fruit, meaty, and black peppercorn flavours. Nicely balanced overall with meaty, olive, black pepper, and savoury wood notes lingering on the finish. Score: 90 pts

THE WINE-DEMIC PACK CABERNET MERLOT 2019 - VQA Ontario, Canada (XD)
Remote schooling sauce

The nose is a bit quiet, offering glimpses of red & black fruits, currant, cassis, and touches of wood spice. The full-bodied, structured palate is ripe with currant, cassis, and black cherry with touches of wood spice and herbally mint flavours, It has fresh, balanced acidity, while the structured tannins are a bit grippy. Pleasantly savoury on the tight finish, with very good length. Enjoyable now, but should be even better in 2-3 years. Score: 90 pts

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Red Tractor Wines (Niagara) - Wine Reviews

Tonight's wine reviews are a pair of new wines that were recently launched at Creekside last month.

Established in 2011 by Creekside Estate Winery, Red Tractor Wines are new world wines that celebrate the past, present, and future of farming in Ontario. At Creekside, they have an old Massey Harris tractor that serves as a symbol of the hard work that is required to farm the vineyards. Red Tractor Wines were created to honour this hard work and salute their family of growers.

The grapes for Red Tractor Wines are sourced from family farms across the Niagara Peninsula. Paying homage to the vineyards and growers such as the Serluca and Smith families, Red Tractor Wines is proud to work alongside these 2nd generation farmers as they push the boundaries on innovation and lead with sustainable farming practices.

Yvonne Irvine steers the Red Tractor team and crafted these wines to best express their sense of place while honouring old-world winemaking techniques. She has over 12 years of viticultural and winemaking experience and works closely with their family of growers, embracing the honest, hard work required to grow and harvest quality fruit.

Both of these wines are available for purchase now at Creekside Estate Winery, Furthermore, the Cabernet Merlot will be coming to LCBO VINTAGES on September 14th.

Tasting Notes:

RED TRACTOR CABERNET MERLOT 2017 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#011851) (XD) - $17.95
Composed of 45% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, and other varietals. Screw cap. Vegan-friendly. This bottle shows an herbally, medium+ intensity nose off the top followed by black currant, blackberry, cassis, wood spice and earthy tones. The soft, medium-bodied palate has smooth, rounded tannins and juicy acidity. It has dark fruited, herbal, and oak spice flavours. Earthy and green herb notes linger on the finish, with good length. Coming to LCBO VINTAGES on September 14th and enjoy over the next 3-4 years. Score: 88 pts

RED TRACTOR CABERNET FRANC 2017 - VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (D) - $25
Sourced entirely from the Serluca Family vineyard near the little village of Virgil. Screw cap. Ripe, medium+ intensity nose offers red and black berry fruit with some dusty earth, bay leaf, herbs, and oak spice aromas. The medium-bodied palate is ripe with more red and black fruit flavours mingling with minty herb, barnyard, sweet tobacco, and spice flavours. It has juicy, balanced acidity and supple, dusty textured tannins that become quite grippy on the mid-palate. Long finishing with wood spice, dark berry, and earthy notes. Vegan-friendly. Best enjoyed from 2020 to 2024. Tasted Aug/2019. Score: 89 pts

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Queenston Mile Vineyard Portfolio Tasting (Spring 2019)

In the Spring, I had the pleasure of tasting through the wines of one of Niagara's newest and hottest wineries - Queenston Mile Vineyard.

The 50-acre vineyard and winery are located in St. David's Bench in Niagara-on-the-Lake, just 10 kilometres south of the shores of Lake Ontario. This area was formed when glaciers carved out the Niagara Escarpment and arose from the historic shoreline of Lake Iroquois towards the base of the Niagara Escarpment. Today, the escarpment's steep ridge collects winds off the lake and circulates them back over the low-lying plains of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Queenston Mile Vineyard is situated in one of Niagara's hottest sub-appellations, with their Estate Vineyard warming early in the Spring and allowing for an extended growing season. In fact, they have one of the warmest and longest growing sites in the Niagara Peninsula. Soils consist of red sandstone bedrock and rich layers of silty clay and loam.

The people behind Queenston Mile Vineyard are not new to wine. They have also been growing grapes and making wine from this land for over twenty years. For the first ten years, they waited for the vines to mature on this newly planted vineyard so they could see what they truly had to be able to make exceptional wines. During the second ten years, they started to see the special qualities of the vineyard. The result is a house that produces mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir table wines, as well as fantastic sparkling wines.

Rob Power is the man behind Queenston Mile Vineyard. It is a project of passion for him and has been a strong advocate for the advancement of quality and creativity in the Canadian wine industry. He has worked tirelessly to innovate within the Niagara wine industry, producing thought provoking blends and vinifying unique varietals. You may also know him as the winemaker at Niagara's Creekside Estate Winery. During his career, Rob has garnered both critical acclaim and the respect of his industry colleagues as he is widely considered to be one of Canada's top winemakers.

I tasted through the entire Queenston Mile Vineyard portfolio and wine reviews of my favourites are provided below. All of these delicious wines are available for purchase directly from the winery.

Tasting Notes:

QUEENSTON MILE VINEYARD BLANC DE NOIRS 2015 - VQA St. David's Bench, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#010139) (XD) - $50
100% Pinot Noir that spent 3 years on the lees. Pretty, light-peach coloured with fragrant aromas pastry, lemon/lime citrus and stone fruits. Honeyed with a kiss of sweetness on the palate with lovely aromas replays. It is creamy textured with bright, vibrant acids and a long, crisp finish. Very fine Niagara bubbly. Score: 91+ pts

QUEENSTON MILE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2016 - Estate bottled, VQA St. David's Bench, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#010137) (XD) - $35
From a hot year, this offers subtle ripe apple, pear, and vanilla aromas, with much of the same on the medium+ bodied and fleshy palate. Finish length is very good. Score: 88+ pts

QUEENSTON MILE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2017 - Barrel Fermented, VQA St. David's Bench, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $35
Bottled a couple of weeks prior, the 2017 offers a lovely, medium-high intensity nose that is clean and lean, with butter ripe apples, elegant pear and vanilla aromas. It is lifted with vibrant acidity on a medium-bodied palate. Nutty notes arrive on flavour profile, along with lovely aroma replays. Long, clean finish. Reminds me of a Meursault. Score: 90+ pts

QUEENSTON MILE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2016 - Estate bottled, VQA St. David's Bench, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $40
A hot vintage on a hot site, this has a medium intensity nose of stewed red and blackberry, strawberry, cherry, and a touch of nail polish, all of which come through nicely on the palate. Acids are very good, but the tannins are very drying and chalky. Good finish length. I would hold for 2-3 years to let the tannins subside. Score: 89 pts

QUEENSTON MILE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2017 - Estate bottled, VQA St. David's Bench, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $40
Slightly darker in colour and more feminine in style than the 2016. This has a lovely medium-high intensity nose of red currant, black cherry, raspberry, wood spice, and hints of earthiness and tea leaf. It is medium-bodied with some astringency to the soft tannins, but otherwise well-integrated. Lovely tea leaf, beet root and strawberry flavours on the palate. Bright acids and very good finish length. Bottled 1-2 weeks ago. Score: 90+ pts

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Creekside Iconoclast Niagara Syrah 2012 (Niagara) - Wine Review (Bottle 2)

Tonight's wine review is a lovely Syrah I discovered while visiting the winery during the annual Niagara Wine Festival in September 2014.

I purchased this red wine for $17.95 and recall that it was on promotion and made available for purchase because their Estate Syrah was sold out. The 2012 is, of course, sold out, but I have tasted a few vintages of this wine now, including the current vintage which is the 2016 Creekside Iconoclast Syrah (89+ pts). You won't find newer vintages at this price, but the current vintage is also a very delicious wine that is available at the winery and may also come through LCBO VINTAGES at some point.

I last tasted the 2012 Creekside Iconoclast Syrah in March 2015 - basically 4 years ago. Let's see how it is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CREEKSIDE ICONOCLAST NIAGARA SYRAH 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#471797) (XD) - $17.95
Screw cap. Just a tinge of reddish-brown colour on the edge. The medium-high intensity nose has savoury, earthy, meaty, and black pepper aromas with hints of oak spice and dark berry. The medium+ bodied palate is somewhat dense with refined, dusty tannins that fold into the palate very nicely. It is chalky textured with savoury, freshly tilled soil, meaty, dark berry, and black plum flavours with peppery hints. Acids are juicy. Nicely balanced aromas and flavours linger through to the long, earthy finish. Best with a light chill. Drink soon if you have it. Score: 89 pts

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Creekside Iconoclast Niagara Syrah 2012 (Niagara) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine is this lovely, locally made Syrah by Niagara's own Creekside Estate Winery. This particular bottle arrived on my doorstep back in October, along with four other Creekside wines for review. However, since I had tasted this delicious red wine when I was at the winery in September, I held this one back to see how it would evolve. Five months later, here is what we have...

CREEKSIDE ICONOCLAST NIAGARA SYRAH 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#) (XD) - $17.95

Tasting Note:
Screw cap. Medium+ intensity aromas with notes of plum, cracked black pepper, black currant and hints of chocolate. On the palate, it's medium bodied with dusty, refined tannins and plummy, dark currant, white pepper and vanillan flavours. It has a chalky mouthfeel, mouth-watering acids and very good length on the finish. Highly drinkable right now and could cellar up to 2018. Delicious! Originally created for licensees only, it was made available for purchase at the winery in September because their Estate Syrah was sold out. Score: 89 pts

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Creekside Estate Winery Wine Tasting

I received these delicious wine samples from Creekside Estate Winery recently and opened them up a couple of weeks ago on a crisp, Fall Saturday.

Creekside has been making premium wine since 1997, when owner Laura McCain pursued a passion for wine by purchasing a 15-acre vineyard and winery on Fourth Avenue in Jordan. The darlings of their portfolio at the time were Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz - neither grape particularly known for doing well in Niagara during this period.

The year 1999 marked the first of several major face lifts to the site, including the addition of shiny new stainless steel tanks with temperature control jackets, a brand new crush pad, and a pneumatic press. In 2000, an underground barrel cellar for fermentation and aging was added to the site.

Growing consumer demand meant more grapes were required to produce more wine. Creekside purchased a 50-acre vineyard site on St. David's Bench and named it the Queenston Road Vineyard (QRV). This site now produces some of their best wines, including their award-winning Syrah that I tasted at the winery in September.

Due to growing popularity over the years, a brand new retail store and covered outdoor deck was built in 2008. During this time, new labels, packaging and website were all face-lifted and are the current look-and-feel that you see today.

Creekside's slogan is "Serious wine from an irreverent bunch". After visiting them last month and my wine reviews below, I can agree that their wines are serious.


Tasting Notes:
CREEKSIDE PINOT GRIGIO 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#083196) (XD) - $14.95
Screw cap. Medium+ intensity aromas with lime, peach, apple and leesy notes. Dry, medium-bodied palate with crisp, lively acids and pleasing aroma replays. Crisp, medium-length finish that is slightly bitter and tart. LCBO General List and widely available. Score: 87 pts

CREEKSIDE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#620724) (XD) - $13.95
Screw cap. Elegant, medium intensity nose showing gooseberry, kiwi, guava and lime aromas. It's medium-weighted and echos the aromas, along with some greenness on the flavour profile. Balanced acids. Tropical fruit & lime flavours on the medium+ length on the finish. Well balanced overall. LCBO General List and widely available. Score: 88 pts

ICONOCLAST SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013 - VQA Creek Shores, Ontario, Canada (#) (XD) - $17.95
Screw cap. Nose seems somewhat closed but shows mandarine orange, guava, kiwi and some earthy aromas. Medium+ bodied and fleshy palate with lemon/lime, green leaf and mineral flavours. Has a fine seam of acidity that dances on the long, dry finish. Score: 88 pts

CREEKSIDE CABERNET SHIRAZ 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#305300) (XD)  - $16.95
Comprised of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 34% Shiraz. Screw cap. Lifted nose featuring smoky, meaty, peppercorn and cassis aromas, Some distinct barnyard notes as it opens up in the glass. Medium-full bodied palate with dark, brooding tannins and mouth-watering acids. Flavours of blackberry, black cherry, raspberry, black pepper, vanillan oak and cocoa. Drinkable now and can be enjoyed over the next 3-4 years. LCBO General List and widely available. Score: 88+ pts

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