An Ontario classic. An interesting compliment to the Lowrey Vineyard offering. Enjoy over the next 3 or 4 years, perhaps longer. Deep and delicious, this is a quality franc that continues to prove that Niagara knows best when it comes to growing and nurturing this particular varietal in Canada. The addition of gamay also helps with its inviting aromas of violets and blueberry fruit. Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards. It’s not considered their best chardonnay, but this wine speaks volumes to the quality of their magnificent portfolio and is priced accurately. Thumbs up to the oak treatment on this wine. Soft tannin structure. Shows a quality promise, and is a step up from the estate, no doubt, however right now it just needs time – about three years to fully come into its own and to begin expressing itself more fully. Every opportunity was an encouragement, and I can’t thank the people in this industry enough for all the hard work that they’ve all put into ensuring that wine enthusiasts like me are able to visit, sample and purchase wine safely. Definitely a wine that can age a few more years if you’ll allow it to. ($39), A gold medal winner at the National Wine Awards in 2018, this syrah is organically and biodynamically farmed and is structured to age well into the mid-20s. And much like the 2017 vintage, this one still needs time to completely sort itself out. The fruit is so coveted that only a select few winemakers get to access the original rows that were planted in 1984 and ‘88. Since I began tasting the wine from this vineyard several years ago, I have known it was something special. Country () () () () () () () () () () Region. ($35), Cloudsley Cellars 2017 ‘Foxcroft Vineyard’ Chardonnay, The Foxcroft Vineyard is a popular vineyard for winemakers to source fruit from. ($30). Only about 3-4 barrels are made per year (about 1,200 bottles), so it’s bound to sell out fast. For the past 20 years, I have been a freelancer, writing professionally about wines from around the world, based on visits to wine regions from Napa Valley to Champagne, and virtually every region in Italy. A dollop of sparkling chardonnay must was added to tweak the sugar and up the bubble potential. It’s a bit unconventional, but there is reason to believe that this could take off and become more popular. Kick off the new year and the new decade with a few sophisticated new bottles for your wine cellar or pantry. To get instant access, join Which? It’s a common misconception that it's best to serve red wine at room temperature. The palate flavours mirror those earth and cherry notes, with tobacco leaf and smoke adding to the mix. Aromas of ripe dark cherry and spice are a foreshadowing of things to come, as richened flavours of dark fruits coat the palate with a spicy warm embrace. Aromas of earth and spice intertwine with cherry and raspberry. This is a more narrow wine with precise acidity and structure. The Ontario Wine Awards recognize VQA varietal quality in 27 different categories and acknowledge winners in Bronze, Silver and Gold Medal levels. It’s medium-bodied with fruit flavours of red currant and cherry, plus added notes of earth and beet root unfolding on the palate. 1 / 51. alvarez/istockphoto Red Wine on a Dime. You may find red wine tastes better if you chill it a little in the fridge. This moves away from the zippy fruitiness of Dolcetto into a much more structured wine. ($29.95), Made with fruit sourced from the Wismer-Parke vineyard (Thomas Bachelder also sources fruit from this site), this is a ripe and concentrated pinot that exudes flavours of cherry and raspberry fruit. There’s good oak support here too, which lends to the complex nature of this wine. The nose is ripe with currants, plums and mixed cherries. I love the approachability of it, not to mention its fair price point. $169.00 SHOP NOW. These are the best wine advent calendars to celebrate the season. I’d wager that in a few years time, this wine will stand among some of the very best Ontario has ever produced. now. Alcohol: Merlot is around 13.5% to 15% alcohol by volume. “Since there is a slightly cooler climate, the harvest of Dolcetto grapes is around 10-12 days late compared to the Barbaresco area and 5-7 compared to the nearest Barolo area, which ensures that there is a different maturation of the tannins as well as grape acids and sugars.”. The palate carries over the apple and adds a citrus vibe with a slightly salty texture. This estate chardonnay is a quintessential example of how meticulously maintained vines can lead to an outstanding result. A bit pricey at $96 a bottle. ($27), A different style of pinot gris than I’m generally used to tasting. Lovely now (especially paired with pork roast or coq au vin), this will peak in 7 or 8 years. Top 10 Ontario Wineries 2019 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada (The Nationals) 1. Oak is present and accents the wine nicely with subtle spice notes. ($36), If you’ve not ever tried a pet nat (short for the French term Pétillant Naturel), this would be a fine start. This helps to preserve freshness. Fruit is solely sourced from the estate’s remarkable Whitty Vineyard, and so, what we get is a very lovely and lively wine, full of complex flavours and mouth-watering acidity. It’s quite fragrant with flowers, cherries, lemon zest and grapefruit. There’s plush fruit, cedar box, some cigar smoke and tar that carry through the finish. Tannins are moderate, as is acidity, meaning the wines tend not to age past a few years, although there are exceptions, as with the Boschi di Berri Dolcetto d’Alba from Marcarini, which is sourced from a pre-phylloxera vineyard planted more than 120 years ago. Easy to drink. Diamond Estates Wine & Spirits (TSXV: DWS) Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits is a winemaking and liquor company based in Canada. ($15.95), A pretty nose of peach, nectarine, pineapple and grapefruit leap from the glass. ($15.95), A very juicy and refreshing rose that offers luscious aromas and flavours of raspberry, strawberry, watermelon and a hint of tangerine. ($33), Made of 80 percent chardonnay and 20 percent sauvignon blanc (both estate grown), the two varietals were co-fermented and cold stabilized before settling. Hand riddled and hand disgorged (perhaps the only winery in the country that does this?). No new oak was used here. The winery was lucky enough to get access to a very small allotment of the 2019 vintage fruit unexpectedly and decided to keep the identity of the vineyard site a secret. Will age 10+ years. It’s a beautiful wine, with subtle notes of petrol, flint smoke and orange peel (I’m beginning to realize that these are the signature flavours of this specific terroir). members can view the results below. It has that noticeable and distinct acidity that makes wines from Hockley Valley unique. The mid-palate is creamy, soft and rich with intensified flavours of peach and pear. There’s lovely aromas of raspberry and maraschino cherry. Bachelder describes this wine as being a ballerina with great core strength. It’s spicy and minerally and backs itself up nicely with firm acids. ($48.95), Cloudsley Cellars 2017 ‘Twenty Mile Bench’ Chardonnay, This is a regional level blend of two Twenty Mile Bench vineyards (Foxcroft and Wingfield) with Foxcroft making up the dominant portion of the blend. ... red, fortified port wine. Ontario Wine Snapshot: Paula and me while enjoying a tasting at Stratus back in a pre-covid environment in February, 2020. The Westcott’s apparently like to tease their customers by only releasing small batches of their Brilliant at a time. Offering superb varietal purity, great freshness and lovely finesse, this is a super delicious Dolcetto meant to be enjoyed at the dinner table tonight or over the next 2-3 years, but best young. It’s an excellent wine and it sells for a very attractive price as a bonus. Zesty acidity, moderate tannins, very good acidity and a lengthy, very appealing finish. A rather complex, food friendly and tasty wine at a very attractive price point. Yes, it’s a lower alcohol, sweeter wine, but the balance between sugar and acidity here is bang on. The best barrels are selected and honed in on, resulting in a more structured and balanced wine that promises a cellaring potential of 7-10 years. The palate is spicy, with black fruit, more pepper and a smoky core. There’s a lovely raspberry purée nose to this bold and generously flavoured merlot that hails from the super vintage that was 2016. It was aged in a combination of new and used French oak for 17 months which has helped to bring out its jammy, earthy flavour profile that finishes smoky. ($14.95), This is very concentrated with layers of exploding fruit and texture filling the mouth. The palate has distinct acidity with a mineral edge to it. Such a great value wine that can either be consumed now with a nice decant or will hold nicely for up to three years. It’s very firm at the moment, so by all means, don’t rush this baby. This expression is quite flavourful and concentrated with present, but smooth tannin structure. ($19.95), A blend of 53% cabernet sauvignon, 30.5% merlot, 15% cabernet franc and 1.5% petit verdot, this has welcoming hints of figs, toasted nuts, vanilla and subtle floral notes on the nose. ($35.95), Appassimento style pinots are generally not my sort of thing. French police raid gang suspected of €5m grand cru wine theft ‘Thrilling’ result for the Hospices de Beaune 2020 auction. Niagara might not be widely considered as a place that can successfully harness this grape’s wonderful attributes, but it seems to me that as each year passes, more and more producers are embracing it and expertly showcasing what this varietal can do. ($65), Karlo Estates 2018 ‘Lake on the Mountain’ Pinot Noir, The fruit for this pinot is sourced from a unique little micro-climate within Prince Edward County that’s about 100 metres higher than the Bay of Quinte. Rich mid-palate, moderate tannins, good acidity and notable persistence. The fruit for this Cabernet Franc is sourced exclusively from the Estate vineyard. ($40). Medium-bodied with excellent depth of fruit. I noticed more earth in this vintage and less barrel spice than the 2016 offering. ($29.95), Adamo 2016 ‘Huebel Estates’ Oaked Gamay Noir, A Juicy and savoury gamay with notes of underbrush, field berries, leather and dried cherries leading the way on a very structured palate. ($34.95), This is the red wine compliment to the Route 33 White that was launched in August. ($32), The ready to drink canned wine category is gaining more popularity and market share in the industry. It’s also plummy and freshly complex on the mouthfeel with a medium body and a slight tannic tug. That wine merchant really was on to something. This range is similar to cabernet sauvignon and around the average for most reds. 4 of 8. Outstanding harmony, as no one element stands out. Ontario Wine Snapshot: Back 10 Cellars began marketing their tastings as “Wines by the Vines”. Red wines are made around the world, from France to Australia, America to Chile, and South Africa to Italy. Ontario Wine Snapshot: A socially distanced visit with Ilya Senchuk at Leaning Post, back in April. You’ll barely notice it. It’s quite tight at the moment, so if you do open now, decant this for about five hours before drinking. Medium-full, with very good concentration, moderate tannins, very good acidity and persistence. This particular bottle comes with an unusual closure. The 2016 riesling was pulled from barrel and the 2017 was put in the same barrel to keep the same yeast and malolactic culture alive. ($45), Bachelder 2017 Wismer-Parke ‘Ouest’ Pinot Noir, Thomas Bachelder is a master of terroir-expressive wines and this expertly demonstrates his experience. Only 160 cases produced. Loaded with aromas of cherry, plum and leather, this is a complex, well balanced wine – smooth as a merlot should be and expertly crafted – what one has come to expect from such a reliable producer as Stratus. With this being the only two acres of malbec grown in Prince Edward County, what we get is a unique wine, with equally unique flavours. Sure to cause a buzz throughout the region, Closson Chase is making a bold statement with this. Excellent, Einaudi Dogliani Superiore “Vigna Tecc” 2017 - Deep garnet; aromas of ripe cranberry, licorice and black pansy. now. Get ready for Summer Fridays with the help of a little vino delivered to your door. The best vegan white wine. There’s inviting aromas of fresh raspberries, black cherry and rhubarb. Superb, Trediberri Dogliani “Bricco Mollea” 2019 - Bright garnet/crimson; aromas of cranberry, black plum and pansies. The palate is packed with big and bold fruit flavours of blackberries, black cherries, blueberries, leather, vanilla and cocoa. There’s notes of underbrush and cedar on the nose. It’s bone dry with crisp, sharp and clean acidity. At the time, I remember praising it as one of the more memorable chardonnays I tasted throughout the event. £8.50 for a 75cl bottle. Leaning Post 2018 ‘Wismer Vineyard’ Gamay, This Leaning Post gamay seems almost akin to pinot noir as it is layered with complex flavours that I wouldn’t have expected to find in most Ontario gamay wines. Here are the recommendations. The finish has subtle suggestions of tobacco. It was an affirmation of months of hard work leading up to the launch. This is traditional method all the way and explodes with bright lemon acidity that eventually gives in to a full and round creamy texture on the palate. SMART BUYS 2020 32263_Vin.Jan11_SmartBuys EN.indd 2 2019-12-06 3:23 AM. Perhaps it’s a bit too soon to know for certain, but I’d wager that in about six years, this will be fondly immortalized as one of the very best wines Stratus has ever produced. members can view the results below. It’s dry and delicious with crisp acidity and brimming with fresh flavours of strawberry, cranberry and rich red fruits. ($29.95), Cloudsley Cellars 2017 ‘Twenty Mile Bench’ Pinot Noir, This pinot noir is a blend from grapes sourced from the Wismer family’s Glen Elgin and Homestead vineyards. Such a complex wine that really deserves to be tried even if you’re just a casual fan of pinot gris, but especially if you haven’t yet tried this particular offering. It’s one of Bachelder’s long-standing favourite vineyard sites to work with and it clearly shows. Re-tasting it this past summer only solidified that feeling. The result is a very expressive chardonnay with inviting honey suckle and orchard fruit aromatics. ($32.95), Trail Estate 2019 ‘Light Fluffy Coulds’ Pet Nat, This refreshingly light and balanced pet nat is made up of 90 percent muscatt ottonel and 10 percent riesling. The supermarket won Champagne & Sparkling Specialist of the Year in the 2020 Decanter Retailer Awards, and its Waitrose & Partners No.1 range is also worth paying attention to – there are some great buys here, especially in the sweet and fortified categories.These wines are designed to show good typicity, and as such are a good introduction to styles you may not have tried before. The palate is expressive and complex, with subtle earth and gravel, savoury herbs and dark fruit. Introducing Pixie Petite, an RTD wine spritzer made from the winery’s already popular pink bubbly, Pixie (vidal and pinot noir blend). The wine is no doubt a showstopper (one of the best Canada has ever produced?). There’s lovely notes of cinnamon and nutmeg on the nose and mid-palate that complement flavours of cherry, blackberry, rooibos tea and some earth. The finish is slightly salty. ($49.95), Adamo 2017 ‘Huebel Estates’ Cabernet Franc, Huebel Estates is located within the Niagara River sub appellation of Niagara-on-the-Lake and warmer temperatures of this particular site make all the difference in this very new world expression of cabernet franc. It was then aged in used barrels for eight months. Acids are racy and burst with a clean freshness. The finish has some grip to it. Medium sweet and highly memorable. While expensive wine can be amazing, great wine does not have to cost a lot. Wondering which wines should be on your radar for 2020? ($36.95), Closson Chase 2018 ‘Churchside’ Pinot Noir, This 2018 edition of the Churchside pinot expresses the warmth of the vintage with a softer profile of dark fruit flavours, beetroot, mushroom and earthy notes. ($55), Traynor Family Vineyard 2019 ‘Inclusion’ Orange, Low-intervention winemaking techniques are commonly used to make orange wine. Despite its value-centric price point, it’s a wine to be taken seriously. Can cellar for another six years. Medium-full with a excellent depth of fruit, very good acidity, medium-weight tannins, and a lengthy finish. It’s a wine that’s perhaps too intense for its own good right now. The pinot demonstrates the terroir so well here, with earth and savoury notes, dark cherry and pine. ($26.95), The ‘Eva’ is an appassimento style wine made of dried chardonnay grapes, which help to concentrate the natural sugars and flavours. A 100 percent gamay rosé mostly made from free-run juice – hence the beautiful pale pink colour. Lovely varietal character and the depth of fruit to drink well for 3-5 years. ($29.99), Westcott Vineyards 2018 ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay, Made in the same style as the ‘Estate’ chard, the ‘Reserve’ is simply the best of the lot. ($48.95), Tawse 2016 Quarry Rd. Past 20 years the skin-to-must ratio is a classic blend of cabernet and merlot with tobacco leaf and smoke out... 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