New wineries don't always make a splash, but this winery made two: one with its winemaker of choice, and two with this amazing Pinot Noir that won awards right out of the gate. Tasted this at the All Canadian Wine Championships, was blown away by it ... Let me tell you about it in the video. today it's the
Wending Home 2020 Up Above Pinot Noir
For those of you looking for an alternative grape to Chardonnay in Ontario, maybe, just maybe, I have one for you - will it be a continuous thing or a one off, remains to be seen?
Today, it's the 13th Street Winery 2022 Viognier Reserve
From a winery famous for Gamay, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
comes another in a steady line of Bordeaux blends :
Malivoire 2020 Stouck Farmstead Red
... Written Review ...
A Merlot/ Cabernet Sauvignon blend the doles out a number of primary and secondary characteristics that are very appealing and approachable: dark fruit, like plum and blackberry meat up with licorice, vanilla and smoke, all the while it's plush with all that beautiful ripe fruit on palate. The real kicker, is the chocolate / mocha / latte finish and linger; that just makes this wine more unforgettable. It'll get better with some age, say 5 to 7 years.
This ABCer finds another Chardonnay that floats his boat
Cave Spring Cellars 2019 Estate Chardonnay
This is a stunning wine that delivers a bit of spice along with some richness that pairs nicely with its acidity to keep it light on the palate. Thanks to a cool growing season, 2019 was a challenging vintage, but the folks at Cave Spring clearly didn’t get the memo. This may be the best Chardonnay in the LCBO at this price point from anywhere.
Just over a year ago, I looked at this very same wine
Westcott Vineyards 2020 Estate Chardonnay
time to take a second look; here are my thoughts again
This wine might be sold out, but it does deserve to be looked at,
especially because it was in such limited release;
and quite possibly the best wine to come out of this winery in a long time :
Hinterbrook 2017 Cabernet Franc (Limited Release)
This isn't the usual blank label, on-descript wine from Hinterbrook - this one has Cabernet Franc scrawled across the front, in what looks like the handwriting of someone using a fountain pen and being chased by a bear. This is from their reserve series, but it does not proclaim it's reserve status anywhere on the bottle – it’s just the price that that tells us the winery believes this is something special. 100% French oak, 75% new, bottled unfiltered and resting in oak for a whopping 34 months. There's lots of hidden dark fruit that weaves its way between tobacco, cigar box, cinnamon and there’s even a lovely layer of spiced raspberry on the finish. Not much of this wine was made: 966 bottles, and each is numbered; get it while it's around. (****+)
Consistency is key to this value priced Franc, but some years it just elevates to another level
Vineland Estates 2020 Cabernet Franc
>>> WRITTEN REVIEW <<<
Vineland Estates 2020 Cabernet Franc
Not since the 2016 has the basic Cabernet Franc from Vineland been this good ... Once again it feels like you're stealing from them at this price, so buy a bunch. Juicy with some rugged tannins that will make this one age a decade or more especially under screwcap. There's also some mocha, tobacco, chocolate-cherry and even some bittersweet chocolate on the finish. The fruit really is the signature here, but when that chocolate kicks in it takes it to the next level. Rating: ****+
First time Pearl has been on the video series, and what a great wine to introduce yourself
(in case you don't know, or haven't heard about these wines)
Pearl Morissette 2020 Racines du Ciel Cabernet Franc
The Written Review ... check out the video review above
When it comes to Pearl Morrissette wines this one seems to be very standard in the way it came together. Take a great vintage (2020), pull fruit from your home vineyard, age it in neutral barrels for a mere 12 months (shorter than usual) - all while using whole cluster and indigenous yeasts (the usual stuff you do) … and you get this beauty. Nose is all about tobacco, raspberry and blackberry with a hint of blueberry; while the palate has lots of upfront fruit, of the dark and smoky variety - following the nose (almost) to a tee - plus there are notes of clove, spice and even some leather on the finish. Very interesting, very inviting, and a great representation of Ontario Cabernet Franc from the 2020 vintage. Price: $32.00 - Rating: ****+
Le Clos Jordanne 2019
Chardonnay, Jordan Village
A new wine for the Clos but
this one is not a single vineyard offering, instead it's a three-vineyard blend
taken from the Estate vineyard plus Talon and Claystone vineyards. This 2019
Chardonnay has beautiful acidity that helps to balance this intensely fruit-forward
wine that has notes of saline plus peach, apple cobbler, hints of pineapple all
culminating with a buttery-spicy feel to the finish. The fruit comes across
sweet across the mid-palate, but that acidity helps to keep everything in check
and manages to balance it out ... Bottom line here: nice complexity with a long
finish. Price: $24.95 – Rating: ****+
