Southbrook Triomphe Cabernet Merlot 2014 (Niagara) - Wine Review (Bottle 2)

I last enjoyed 2014 Southbrook Triomphe Cabernet Merlot back in December 2015, and tonight I am opening the 2nd bottle that I have in my possession.

This red wine blend is produced by Southbrook Vineyards with grapes coming from the Saunders Vineyard in Niagara. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks and ageing occurred in neutral oak barrels. This certified organic wine is also suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Although a newer vintage of this wine isn't available, an equivalent in Southbrook's current portfolio would be the 2017 Triomphe Merlot that is available at the winery and through their online web store.

Tasting Note:

SOUTHBROOK TRIOMPHE CABERNET MERLOT 2014 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $22.95 Sold Out
Stelvin screw cap enclosure. A blend of 69% Cabernet Franc and 31% Merlot from a cooler vintage that began with the infamous Polar Vortex. Generous aromas are mature with savoury, earthy, and forest floor notes, plus some dried cherry, floral, and herbal spice hints. It is medium-full bodied on the palate with refined tannins that offer a nice chalky texture. More savouriness on the flavour profile with dried cherry, spice, and herbs. Juicy mid-palate with acids a touch sour. Earthy notes linger on the finish, with good length. Enjoy over the next 12 months. Score: 88+ pts

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Sip and Sizzle in Niagara-on-the-Lake 2018

I had a great time attending Sip and Sizzle in Niagara-on-the-Lake last year, and this annual event is taking place again this May.

Sip and Sizzle features over 20 wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake, each offering a unique grilled food item and VQA wine pairing. It is a fun, relaxing, and a great way to discover the Wines of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

In order to attend Sip and Sizzle, purchase your Touring Pass here. This Pass entitles you to one VQA wine tasting and food pairing at each of the 20+ participating wineries during the 4 weekends in May - Friday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The full list of this year's offerings are now posted and a Designated Driver's Touring Pass is also available.

To have the best experience, I would recommend visiting 6-8 wineries per day. This will allow you to casually visit each winery at a fairly relaxed pace and discover some of their other delicious wines - many of which never arrive on LCBO shelves. This event would also make a great weekend getaway.

Here are some of the highlights from my visit last year:

CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES CUVÉE D’ANDRÉE ROSÉ 2016 ($16, #333260, 87 pts) paired with house smoked salmon on an herb scone with cranberry compote. The red berry flavours from the wine complemented the cranberry compote well, while the food-friendly acids in the wine allowed it to be paired with the salmon and scone. Really nice done!

RAVINE VINEYARD ESTATE WINERY GEWURZTRAMINER 2017 ($25, 88 pts) paired with Harissa grilled chicken thighs on K2 grain salad. They actually ran out of the salad, so I ended up getting another serving with the salad while at the tasting bar. An off-dry wine with lemon/lime notes that brought out the lemony notes from the grain salad. The tender chicken was well-made, not spicy, and had subtle smoky flavours that meshed well with the wine.

BETWEEN THE LINES WINERY ROSÉ 2017 ($18, 87 pts) paired with grilled lamb brochette with a tangy herb de provence glaze. A fairly substantial darker rose with a slightly tannic backbone that actually held up well against lamb.

LAKEVIEW WINE CO. EASTDELL SUMMER ROSÉ 2016 ($15, #560243, 86 pts) paired with strawberry & goat cheese bruschetta on grilled focaccia bread. All candied cherry and tangy citrus that was a fun pairing which complemented the strawberry-flavoured bruschetta.

PELLER ESTATES PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2015 ($23, 88 pts) paired with our house-made lamb and balsamic mint sausage. Nicely done with pepper and spice notes from both the wine and lamb complementing each other, while the full-bodied wine with somewhat big tannins balanced the protein. The sour cream based spread on top was a nice cooling touch.

JOSEPH'S ESTATE PROPRIETOR’S RESERVE RIESLING 2014 ($15, 85 pts) paired with grilled sweet heat chicken satay. The chicken satay was mildly spiced, however, at the tail end there was some spicy heat which would have been better paired with an off-dry Riesling instead of this dry Riesling.

JACKSON-TRIGGS GRAND RESERVE SHIRAZ 2015 ($26, 89 pts) paired with lamb spiedini with fresh ciabatta, pepperoncini and olive oil. This was a nice, peppery pairing with pepper notes from the wine and the lamb complementing each other, and just enough tannins to balance the protein. The pepperoncini also added a nice spicy kick.

STREWN GEWURZTRAMINER 2015 ($15, #065359, 88 pts) paired with a Sizzling Sampler Trio: Tandoori chicken, grilled pineapple & vegetable samosa. Very intresting to try all three of these bites with a dry Gewurztraminer. The spicy notes from the wine fared well with the tandoori chicken and the samosa, however, the pineapple citrus flavours were stronger than the wine.

NOMAD AT HINTERBROOK TRAVELLER'S RIESLING 2016 ($16, #445775, 88 pts) paired with grilled shrimp with pickled garden root vegetables, spicy citrus, lime and sweet basil. A nice, fresh pairing with balanced acids and slightly sweet citrusy flavours matching the tangy and spicy salad, while the minerality in the wine complemented the shrimp.

PALATINE HILLS VIDAL ICEWINE 2012 ($20, 200 mL, 90 pts) paired with S'mores Pie: chocolate cream cheese, chocolate graham and toasted marshmallows. A lusciously sweet pairing where the wine matched the sweetness of the dessert, and the acidity in the wine held it all together.

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Monte del Frá Tenuta Lena di Mezzo Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2008 (Veneto) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine was purchased nearly 7 years ago from the April 28, 2012 LCBO VINTAGES Release that featured wines from Veneto in its main theme. Let's see how it is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

MONTE DEL FRÁ TENUTA LENA DI MEZZO VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE 2008 - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#272500) (D) - $15.95
Blend of 80% Corvina Veronese and Corvinone, and 20% Rondinella from the terraced estate of Lena di Mezzo that is an hilly area with tufaceous, clay and limestone soils. Deep garnet colour with a brownish tinge on the edge. Generous aromas are very earthy and savoury in the glass with dirt, tree bark, and touches of dried cherry and floral. It is medium+ bodied on the palate with tobacco and spice flavours, plus some dried cherry/berry and floral notes. Fruit is starting to fade while tannins have softened but leave a chalky and drying mouthfeel. Acids are juicy. Earthy and stony mineral notes linger on the long finish. Quite nice for an 11-year-old Valpolicella. Drink now. Score: 89 pts

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Wine Picks LCBO VINTAGES Release Apr. 13, 2019: Organic + Bordeaux

The upcoming LCBO VINTAGES Release on April 13, 2019 features Organic Wines in its main theme, while mini-theme focuses on wines from Bordeaux's left and right banks. All of these wines, plus many others will be available on LCBO VINTAGES shelves across Ontario by this Saturday.

We'll begin with the main theme that features 16 Organic Wines from around the world, of which 7 are included among my wine recommendations. Both Sparkling Wines are organic, with the bubbly from Chile consisting of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, while the sparkler from Ontario is made with Riesling. Organic white wines include a Torrontés from Chile, a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Also, the Lagarde Blanc from Bordeaux is a 60/40 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, while the dry Riesling is from Germany. The lone organic red wine is a Chianti Classico that is made with 100% Sangiovese.

The mini-theme looks at red wines from Bordeaux's left and right banks. Red wines from Bordeaux are quite often blends, with Left Bank wines typically based on Cabernet Sauvignon, while Right Bank wines are typically based on either Merlot or Cabernet Franc. In this Release, there are 8 wines featured and 3 are included among my top wine picks. My personal preference leans towards Cabernet Sauvignon, so all three of my picks from this feature are from the Left Bank. The Médoc is a blend of 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Petit Verdot, while the pretty 2009 Haut-Médoc is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. Last, but definitely not the least, the Pessac-Léognan is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot.

Red wines from the rest of the Release include a 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot blend from Australia, as well as an 87% Tempranillo and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Spain. From South Africa, the Glenelly Red Blend consists of 40% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 10% Petit Verdot, while the M. Chapoutier from Roussillon is a lovely blend of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 5% Carignan, and 5% Mourvèdre. Lastly, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a blend of 75% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, and 5% Cinsault.

Among my white wine picks from the rest of the Release, all are single varietal wines. Included among them is the Anselmi that is made with 100% Garganega, and the Rochemorin Blanc from Bordeaux that is 100% Sauvignon Blanc. There is also a Chenin Blanc from South Africa and a pair of (oaked) Chardonnays from California.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this Release! Salud!

Red Wine:

• FERNGROVE FRANKLAND RIVER CABERNET/MERLOT 2016 - Frankland River, Western Australia (#632638) (XD) - $16.95  89 pts  wine review
• LA LEGUA EL TRANSFORMADOR TEMPRANILLO/CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2014 - DO Cigales, Spain (#645812) (XD) - $18.95  88 pts  wine review
• HERDADE DA PIMENTA TOURIGA NACIONAL/TOURIGA FRANCA/ALICANTE BOUSCHET 2013 - Vinho Regional Alentejano, Portugal (#445114) (XD) - $19.95  88 pts  wine review
• PRIMUS CARMENÈRE 2017 - Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile (#439356) (XD) - $19.95
• GLENELLY ESTATE RESERVE RED BLEND 2011 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#652289) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU PIERRE DE MONTIGNAC 2014 - Cru Bourgeois, AC Médoc, Bordeaux, France (#437954) (XD) - $24.95  90 pts  wine review
• IL MOLINO DI GRACE RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2014 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#382945) (XD) - $24.95  91 pts  wine review
• M. CHAPOUTIER BILA-HAUT OCCULTUM LAPIDEM 2016 - AC Côtes du Roussillon-Villages Latour-de-France, France (#643239) (XD) - $26.95  91+ pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU LAROSE-TRINTAUDON 2009 - Cru Bourgeois, AC Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France (#297945) (XD) - $29.95  91 pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU LA GARDE 2015 - AC Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France (#682617) (XD) - $49.95  92 pts  wine review
• LE VIEUX DONJON CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2016 - AC, Rhône, France (#700922) (XD) - $67.95  FE

White Wine:

• SANTA JULIA ORGANIC TORRONTÉS 2018 - Mendoza, Argentina (#232694) (XD) - $13.95  87 pts  wine review
• L’AVENIR FAR & NEAR CHENIN BLANC 2018 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#556365) (XD) - $15.95
• WITTMANN 100 HILLS TROCKEN RIESLING 2017 - Qualitätswein, Rheinhessen, Germany (#645176) (XD) - $17.95  88 pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU LES HAUTS DE LAGARDE BLANC 2018 - AC Bordeaux, France (#387787) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
• SERESIN SAUVIGNON BLANC 2016 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#735043) (XD) - $24.95  90 pts  wine review
• ANSELMI CAPITEL CROCE 2015 - IGT Veneto, Italy (#966655) (D) - $26.95  FE
• CHÂTEAU DE ROCHEMORIN BLANC 2015 - AC Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France (#091371) (XD) - $31.95
• RAMEY CHARDONNAY 2014 - Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California, USA (#613786) (XD) - $51.00  FE
• FAR NIENTE CHARDONNAY 2017 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#539130) (XD) - $99.95

Rosé Wine:

• THREE OF HEARTS ROSÉ 2018 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#552562) (D) - $19.95  88 pts  wine review

Sparkling Wine:

• KEW VINEYARDS ORGANIC RIESLING SPARKLING 2017 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#645309) (XD) - $19.95  88 pts  wine review
• EMILIANA ORGANIC BRUT SPARKLING - Traditional method, DO Casablanca Valley, Chile (#536607) (XD) - $19.95  88 pts  wine review

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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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Closson Chase Vineyard Chardonnay 2014 (PEC) - Wine Review (Bottle 4)

Tonight's wine review is the 4th bottle from a case of wine that I ordered through the VINI wine app.

I last enjoyed the 2014 Closson Chase Vineyard Chardonnay in September and noted that it will be best over the next year or so. Given that I had two bottles remaining, I thought it best to open one tonight and save the last bottle for some time later this year.

Of course, the 2014 was sold out a long time ago, while small quantities of the 2016 remain at the LCBO, and the 2017 should be available at Closson Chase Winery in Prince Edward County soon.

Tasting Note:

CLOSSON CHASE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2014 - VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (#148866) (XD) - $28.95
Pours a medium-yellow colour and offers lemon citrus, waxy, paraffin aromatics in a mature profile. The palate is medium-bodied and fairly complex with lovely mature waxy, paraffin, mealy, and lemon citrus flavours plus some butter and vanilla notes in the background. It is nicely textured with some chalkiness on the mid-palate. Balanced acidity. Lemon and waxy notes linger on the long finish. A high-quality, mature Chardonnay to drink soon. Score: 90 pts

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Pillitteri 25th Anniversary Select Late Harvest Cabernet 2013 (Niagara) - Wine Review

I picked up tonight's sweet dessert wine while visiting the winery last month during the annual Days of Wine & Chocolate Event in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

With this wine, Pillitteri Estates Winery is celebrating 25 years of family, quality and tradition. This family winery opened its doors in June of 1993. Pillitteri has successfully grown with 3 generations working in the family business, having received over 1000 prestigious wine awards and sell to more than 35 countries worldwide. The family is thankful and proudly presents the 25th Silver Anniversary Collection of wines for all to enjoy.

Back in February during Days of Wine & Chocolate, they were offering BOGO on this particular late harvest dessert wine - what a great deal! Although this deal is no more, this delicious sweet wine is still available for purchase at the winery and through their online web store.

Tasting Note:

PILLITTERI 25TH ANNIVERSARY SELECT LATE HARVEST CABERNET 2013 - VQA Ontario, Canada (S) (375 mL) - $25
Fresh red cherry and strawberry aromas waft from the glass with hints of white raisins and chocolate. On the medium-full bodied palate, it is somewhat dense and fairly sweet with just enough acidity to keep the palate fresh. More cherry, strawberry, and raisiny flavours continue through to the finish, with very good length. Enjoy well-chilled. Score: 88+ pts

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