Canadian Wine Guy

Pale in color with a nice crisp dry minerally nose. On the mid palate the wine matches the nose with lovely crispness, and some noticeable chard notes, some apple/pear. On the medium length finish the wine displays lovely acidity and citrus notes. In spite of being on the lees for 48 month it’s not all that creamy. All in all a lovely bubbly. I would give it an 88+. Super food friendly and a great add to any table. Unlike some bubblies that are non-vintage this one is noted as a 2012. Not in the LCBO but available at the winery for $34.95. I’ve had this over a number of years and they have been consistently good …

From the winery’s web site:
PREMIER CUVEE 2012 $34.95
Fresh and pure with classic aromas of toasty brioche and light fruity notes of apple and lemon

The nose is fresh and pure with classic aromas of toasty brioche and light fruity notes of apple and lemon. The mousse is fine with bracing acidity refreshing the palate on the long toasty finish. Certainly perfect to drink now but will further develop complexities through short to medium term aging.

This wine will pair nicely with fresh shucked oysters, white fleshed fish or lobster. Also a perfect pairing with bloomy-rind, double or triple cream cheeses. Or serve on its own as the perfect aperitif. Serve chilled at 5-8° C.

WINEMAKING NOTES
A blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the 2012 vintage. Both varieties are primarily sourced from our estate vineyards in the Creek Shores sub-appellation, with some fruit coming from some of our favourite growers in both Creek Shores and Niagara-on-the-Lake. After harvest both varieties The Pinot Noir provides notes of berry fruit, power and richness while Chardonnay the acidic structure and backbone. This dry sparkling wine underwent second fermentation in the final bottle and aged sur lattes (en tirage) for a minimum of 48 months during which the bubbles became smaller and more compact. A slight autolytic, or toast and bread character also developed during this time. After the lees was removed, winemaker Jean-Pierre Colas felt the wine was in perfect balance so decided to not add any sugar to the dosage resulting in a classically dry sparkling wine in the zero dosage style. This wine was not exposed to oak and did not undergo malolactic fermentation.

Slightly golden in color with a nice apple/pear nose. On the mid palate the wine matches the nose with spot on apple/pear notes. On the medium length finish the wine is nice and dry and shows some nice vanilla notes. This is quite a good chard 88+.

From the winery’s web site (for a different year).

2015 Terroir Chardonnay American Oak $32.00 / Bottle

Presenting beautifully! A rich, complex palate with generous aromas of pineapple, green apple and pear that combine with caramel, toasty vanilla and creme brulee. Long, warm and well-balanced finish.

Wine Specs
Appellation: VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake
Brix at Harvest 23.3 Residual Sweetness 3.0
Cases Made 129 cases Alcohol %14.5
Tasting Notes
A complex wine with aromas and flavours of apple (yellow and green), pear, papaya, melon, cantaloupe, lime, vanilla, butterscotch, caramel, coconut, spice and toasty oak. All harmonize with the acidity producing a long, lingering finish. Best serving temperature 10-13C

Food Pairing Notes
The toasty oak notes complement grilled seafood dishes such as salmon, scallops and shrimp, and grilled chicken.

I previously rated the 2013 Small Lot chardonnay and was impressed. This one is much less expensive. Pale to golden in color with a mild apple/pear nose, spot on varietal. This is one of those chards that’s sensitive to temperature. Serve it too cold and your will miss some of the complexity. On the mid palate the wine matches the nose with lovely pear/apple. On the medium length finish the wine displays lovely vanilla and some creamyness. The wine has some nice mouth grip. This is a lovely and food friendly chard, not over baked. I would give it an 88+, which at $19.95 a bottle is not a bad deal. I bought it at the wine store as I was exiting Longos. It doesn’t seem to be on the winery’s web site so I am assuming there is limited left. It should easily keep a year or two so don’t hesitate to buy a few!

Garnet in color with a lovely varietal soft red berry nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some lovely rich, bold red fruites, strawberry and raspberries. I’d hear about this wine, and was anxious to taste it, and it didn’t disappoint. On the medium length finish the wine displays some firm acidity and tannins. The wine might be just a little young right now, but a lovely pinot none the less. I would give it an 88+ !! Not in the LCBO but available from the winery for $29.95 a bottle.

From the winery’s web site:
Medium-bodied, elegant and fruit forward, this Pinot Noir shows wonderful fruit flavours of cherry and red berry, with a touch of spice and oak. The soft tannins leave a slight drying sensation on the finish with flavours of red berry tea, spice and pomegranate.

Serve with Portobello mushroom burgers, mushroom risotto, meaty lasagna, beef tenderloin (and left over beef wraps), or pizzas. Chill wine for 20 minutes before serving to bring out the fruit flavours. Drink now to 2019.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM:
Silver Medal – WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada 2017

I love pinot noirs. So food friendly. Salmon, veal, poultry … And Niagara does some amazing ones! Varietal and yummy. I last reviewed Redstone’s Cab Franc and was impressed. Redstone are doing some great work! This one is garnet in color with a nice mild red berry nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some lovely strawberries to match the nose along with some nice firm tannins, acidity and rustic notes on the medium length finish. This is another well made yummy pinot noir. I would give it an 88 or so, which for the price is excellent.

From the LCBO web site Check LCBO stock:
Redstone Limestone Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012 — VINTAGES#: 546473
STYLE – Medium-bodied & Fruity
This elegant, sustainably farmed Pinot Noir shows pretty floral notes, raspberry, red cherry, strawberry and smoke, with good depth of flavour and brilliant, food-friendly acidity. Pour with prime rib and root vegetables. (Vintages panel, Aug. 2017) $22.00
PRODUCT DETAILS
Release Date:March 17, 2018
Alcohol/Vol 12.5% Made in:Ontario, Canada By: Redstone Winery Inc. Sugar Content:6 g/L Sweetness Descriptor:D – Dry Style: Medium-bodied & Fruity Varietal:Pinot Noir Description: Redstone was named Winery of the Year at the 2017 National Wine Awards of Canada.