Canadian Wine Guy

I love Sauv blancs, they are so versatile and food friendly. There flavors are all over the map from mild to wild. Niagara has been making some good ones recently. This one is pale in color with a mild nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some lovely mild grape fruit notes. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice crisp dry citrus notes along with some nice acidity. This is a well made smooth food friendly sauv blanc. I would give it an 88 or so. Very nice a great example of Niagara’s potential in this space!

From the winery’s web site:
Our Sauvignon Blanc originates from vineyards situated along gently sloping hillsides of the Niagara Escarpment overlooking Lake Ontario. In this area, the combination of limestone-clay soils, elevation and moderating on-shore breezes allow us to produce a wine that exhibits the crisp, herbal character typical of this noble, cool-climate variety. $16.95

From the LCBO web site:
Cave Spring Sauvignon Blanc — LCBO#: 529933
Style – Light & Crisp  ›

Pale straw; quite fragrant, with a floral, grapefruit, gooseberry and grassy/herbal nose with a hint of peach; dry, delicate, crisp with good fruit and moderate length. $16.95

Alcohol/Vol 13.0% Made in: Ontario, Canada By: Cave Spring Cellars Ltd Sugar Content: 2 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry
Style: Light & Crisp

We travel down to Niagara frequently. The experience in the Niagara’s winery’s is awesome. The people, the wine, the food, the Inns are all an amazing way to spend time (oh and some money :)). Vineland estates has one of the most picturesque restaurants in Niagara. Lovely ambiance. They also have on display a beautiful collection of art all made from wine done by Melissa Proudlock. Very unique.

Bill Mochoruk spent some time with us telling us all about some of the innovative things Vineland is doing. It’s the dedication of Vineland and others in the region that is continuing to elevate the status of Niagara wines. Bill was telling me about one of the new gadgets Vineland is employing, an optical sorter. They use it to remove the under size grapes that can impart a green, bitter, vegetal flavor. Very cool. Thanks Bill for all your time.

If there is one thing Niagara is well known for it’s Cab Franc. This wine is 89% cab franc, 10% cab sauv and 1% Merlot. The wine was aged 16 months in oak. The wine has 13.5% alcohol and has 6.5 g/l sugar, so dry. Reserve in this case refers to the quality of the grapes used (Vs longer in oak). The optical sorter was not used on this wine because they didn’t have it yet.

Ok onto this wine. Dark in color with a mild nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some classic varietal cab franc notes. But where this wine lives is in the finish. On a medium to long finish the wine displays some firm tannins, and some lively acidity. This is a classic, big, yet approachable, cab franc that will easily age and soften with time. We paired it with a striploin and it went really well … I would give it a solid 89. $40 at the winery.

From the winery’s web site.
It is the perfect sensory storm. This wine comes at you full on and envelopes you in a wave of flavours that leaves you drenched in luxury. The fine, firm structure of resolved tannins amply supports the lively dark berry notes while underpinning the broader tones of leather, coffee and bittersweet chocolate. The intriguing complexities of this wine are artistically interlace to give a wine of, shall we say it – epic depth, power and longevity.

Winemaker: Brian Schmidt

Niagara make some great Cab Francs. The ones from Niagara on the lake (which this is) tend to be softer than those from the Escarpment. This one has lovely dark cherry on the nose. On the mid palate this displays some varietal cab franc notes, dark cherries and some nice mocha notes. On the medium length finish the wine displays some soft tannins and some nice dryness that build in the mouth along with some nice acidity and a hint of pepper. This is a smooth soft cab franc with some nice complexity in the finish. I would give it an 88-89. $24.95 a bottle at the winery.

From the Winemakers web site:
Paul Bosc and Amélie Boury’s Winemaker’s Notes
Cabernet Franc is one of Niagara’s signature grape varieties and this is an excellent example of how it can be made into a complex wine with aging potential. The grapes are hand picked and then undergo temperature-controlled fermentation so the wine does not come across as “over extracted”. It’s then aged for one year in 1-2 year old French oak barrels to add an extra layer of flavour but not mask the essence of the wine. It’s ruby coloured, with flavours of raspberry and pipe tobacco. Although this wine is ready to drink, it will continue to develop in the bottle for at least 5-10 years.

Miguel Fontalvo’s vineyard manager’s Notes
We are fortunate to be able to work with the St. David’s Bench Vineyard. It is an incredible site. Because it is so far from the lake and nestled against the Escarpment, we are able to achieve full maturity and ripeness in our reds. We do a lot of hand-work in the rows to help the vines concentrate their flavours. This site also features underground sreams that carry limestone off the Escarpment. The vine roots access this water and we believe it is what gives wines grown here their signature minerality.

Pale to golden in color. With nice nose although out of the bottle there are some unusual notes. On the mid palate there are some nice mild pear notes. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice firm vanilla notes along with some nice spicy notes (pepper) along with some acidity. This is a very nice chard. I would give it an 88+. We paired it with yellow perch. It paired well in that the complexity of the wine complemented the mild fish. Yum. Not available at the LCBO but $18.95 at the winery.

From the Winery’s web site:
The nose is rich and inviting with notes of honey comb, citrus and crème brulée. The palate is rich and powerful with the same flavours perfectly balanced with mouthwatering acidity and minerality. Aged in French and American oak for 12 months.

Rennie is a virtual winery in Beamsville. The wines are made by Malivoire for Rennie. Garnet in color with a mild nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some firm rustic notes backed immediately by some firm tannins and acidity. This is definitely a bigger pinot. I would give it an 88 or so … We paired it with roast pheasant and it went well although a bit firm for the pheasant. The bottle says “Contains suplphites”. Not in the LCBO, $40 at the winery.

From the winery’s web site:\Winemaker’s Notes:
Aromas infer cranberry, dark chocolate, Turkish Delight, maple cream, nutmeg and cigar box.

Sturdy tannins make this an assertively-textured wine. Flavours bring to mind cranberry, black cherry and cocoa with a lingering trace of caramel.

On cresting sugar ripeness of 23.1° Brix, pinot noir clusters were selected by hand from Graham and Christine Rennie’s Heron Pond Vineyard.

After crush, the fermenting must’s fruit intensity was augmented by twice-daily pigeage and periodic addition of uncrushed whole clusters. Malolactic fermentation and eighteen months’ ageing were completed in French oak barrels before the wine was bottled unfiltered.

Alcohol measured 13.5%, pH 3.7, titratable acidity 5.5 grams / litre and residual sugar 0.6 grams / litre.

Production was limited to a rare 75 cases of wine.

Whenever someone asks for a recommendation for a Niagara Pinot this one has been on my list for years, a consistent varietal pinot. Garnet in color with a lovely varietal rustic nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some lovely rustic notes, and some soft red berries. On the medium length finish the wine displays some soft tannins and some nice smooth acidity. I would give it a solid 89.

From the LCBO web site:
Flat Rock Gravity Pinot Noir 2013 — VINTAGES#: 1560
Style – Medium-bodied & Fruity  ›
Steely mineral brings added dimension to this silky Pinot that offers aromas and flavours of sour cherry and spices wrapped in velvety tannins. A refreshing ribbon of acidity defines the finish. (VINTAGES panel, April 2015) $29.95

Release Date:
October 31, 2015 Alcohol/Vol 12.9% Made in: Ontario, Canada By: Flat Rock Cellars Sugar Content: 6 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry Style: Medium-bodied & Fruity

I bought this one at the winery based on past years experience, without tasting it. In Niagara I better than most know that wines can vary year to year. Wine makers are learning, new wine makers are coming on the scene, vineyards are trying new grapes, and growing seasons change, all leading to significant variances in year to year experiences. VQA is at best a loose series of guidelines guiding all this. What all this means I you ought not to assume just because you liked a previous vintage you may not like the next one. I find this particularly true of this lesson.

Pale in color with a unusual almost Riesling nose. On the mid palate the wine is an odd cross in flavors between a Riesling and a sauv blanc. There are some nice crisp dry notes, some grapefruit acidity along with a hint of Riesling like flavors and a hint of woodyness. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice minerality. It’s not sweet by any means. But it is an odd collection of flavors. I would give it an 87ish. Not terrible but not what I am looking for in a sauv blanc either. Fortunately I only bought two.

From the LCBO web site:
Peninsula Ridge Sauvignon Blanc VQA – LCBO#: 53678 | 750 mL bottle
Style – Light & Crisp  › pale straw; gooseberry, citrus and grass aromas with tropical fruit notes; dry medium bodied; orange, lime and grapefruit flavours with a mineral note to finish $14.95

Alcohol/Vol 13.3% Made in: Ontario, Canada By: Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery Sugar Content: 3 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry Style: Light & Crisp This is a VQA wine.

From the winery’s web site:
Product Description

Classic Ontario Sauvignon Blanc aromas and flavours of lime, lemon custard and gooseberry are carried beautifully on a crisp seam of acid through to a long lasting finish. 50% McNally Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Wismer Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Lepp Sauvignon Blanc.

Back in March 2013 we visited the winery and tasted this wine. Like a breeder not quite ready to let the puppies be removed from their mommy the assistant winemaker pleaded with us to let this age a bit before we tasted it. Patience has been rewarded. Pale in color with a lovely rich varietal California chard nose. On the mid palate the wine matches the nose with lovely rich apple/pear, vanilla and butter maybe even baked apple. The wine is medium in length on the finish with lovely vanilla notes lingering along with some nice acidity. This wine has indeed mellowed nicely from the humble beginnings when we first tasted it. I would give it a solid 89. Yumm … Not in the LCBO and likely no longer available at the winery $22.95 a bottle when we bought it.

From the Winery’s web site:
BARREL FERMENTED CHARDONNAY 2011
AROMAS OF PINEAPPLE, GUAVA AND PEAR MINGLE WITH HINTS OF VANILLA. THE PALATE IS FULL BODIED AND RICH WITH THE PERFECT BALANCE BETWEEN FRUIT, OAK AND ACIDITY. THIS WINE IS A JOY TO DRINK WHEN YOUNG BUT WILL ALSO AGE AND DEVELOP BEAUTIFULLY FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.

Niagara does Pinot Noir well … And Kacaba are doing some great stuff. This is just one example of just that. Garnet in color with a lovely nose of soft red berries and rustic notes. On the mid palate the wine totally matches the nose with lovely soft red berries, strawberries and the like. Lovely rich rustic notes. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice smooth tannins and the rustic notes linger nicely in the mouth. There some nice acidity. This is a beautiful well made, varietal pinot. A classic example of how Niagara does Pinot well. I would give it an 89. If you like Pinots this is an excellent one. We paired it with BBQ duck breast and I even used it as marinade for it and it went well. $22.95 a bottle at the winery.

From the winery’s web site:
Light-bodied and easy drinking. Expect aromas and flavours of ripe red cherry, coupled with a soft texture.

A light to medium bodied Pinot Noir with full bodied flavour. Aromas of ripe cherry, anise and rich baking spices entice the senses. Plush favours of cherry, plum and pomegranate meld with hints of delicate tea leaf.

As all Kacaba wines the 2011 Pinot Noir was crafted using 100% handpicked grapes. The grapes were hand sorted, gently destemmed, and left as whole berries for two days of cold soaking to extracting colour, favours and tannins from the skins.

During fermentation the tanks were hand plunged three to four times per day to further the extraction of colour and favour. After fermentation subsided the Pinot Noir was pressed of skins and transferred to 100% French oak barrels, 50% new, 50% second fill.