Canadian Wine Guy

Sometimes when you choose to grow grapes in cold places you have to think out of the box. Coffin Ridge is up near Collingwood which gets some cold winters. This grape L’Acadie Blanc is designed to endure our cold winters. Pale in color with a nice citrus and minerally nose. On the mid pallet the wine displays citrus and minerally notes that smack on match the nose. The wine has some lovely mouth grip on a medium finish with the citrus notes lingering. Serve colder and it’s refreshing and crisp. As it warms up the wine’s length increases. This is a dry, crisp, food friendly wine. Somewhat Sauv blanc like. I would give it an 88+. Quite nice. Not in the LCBO but available at the winery.

From the Winery’s web site:
2013 L’ACADIE BLANC – $23.80
Originally developed at the Vineland Research Station, this terrifically aromatic white will truly impress those who seek fresh, vibrant, crisp wines.

Tasting Notes
L’Acadie Blanc possesses aromas of citrus, lime and sweet cut grass, evoking New Zealand’s Marlborough region or perhaps the Loire Valley in France. With generous floral notes, this wine is jam-packed with minerality that yields a pleasant, lingering finish making it a perfect choice with seafood, pasta with cream sauce or white meats.

Telling exactly how long a wine may keep is not always easy. Take this one as a point in case. When I bought it in 2011 I did not think it had a whole lot of time left. I acutally had intended to drink it within 2 years of buying it, but forgot about the wine for a bit 🙂 Ah an error is rewarded. Dark in color with a mild nose. On the mid pallet the wine displays some firm dark berries. I am surprised how expressive the fruit in this wine still is! On the medium length finish the wine displays some lovely dry velvety tannins. I would give this wine a solid 89. Yumm. I paid $16.95 and it’s a bargain at that price. Finding a wine in this price range that is still showing well 8 years later is impressive! Another great wine from Kacaba! In case you haven’t noticed, yay I’m a fan!

From the back of the bottle:
A rich estate blend of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, and merlot from out oldest vines. Barrel aged for 16 months, exhibiting rich berry flavors with subtle notes of toasted oak and vanilla spice. Serve with beef or hearty pasta dishes.

I last reviewed the 2011 vintage of this wine and was thorough impressed. I love my Cab Francs and Niagara does them well. Big bold wines with lots of weight to hold up nicely with red meats. This one is dark in color with a mild nose of red berries consistent with a cab franc. On the mid pallet this wine displays some nice red berries to match the nose along with some nice chocolate/mocha notes. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice tannins along with some lovely dryness. This is another great year for Fielding’s Cab franc. If I had to compare it to the 2011 I would say its a little softer, not quite as bold. More apporachable. But all in all another lovely wine from Fielding. What can I say I am a fan for sure. I would give it an 89-90. Yumm. Keep up the great work Fielding!

From the LCBO web site:
Fielding Estate Cabernet Franc 2012—VINTAGES#: 36194
STYLE – Medium-bodied & Fruity
Beautifully brambly and woodsy on the nose with blackberry, black cherry, cracked peppercorn and currants. Dark, smoky and peppery throughout with an awesome rush of acidity and fine, youthful tannins. Reminiscent of a 2010 Right Bank Bordeaux, this will age 3-5+ years. Fire up the barbecue and grill yourself some steak. (VINTAGES panel, July 2014)

Slightly golden in color with a varietal chard nose. On the mid pallet the wine displays some lovely chard fruit along with some nice vanilla and oak coming through nicely through medium finish. It’s a smooth well made chard I would give it a solid 89! Yumm. I bought it back in June 2012 and it has kept well. If your keeping a cellar, be sure and keep good notes. They help a lot in managing the cellar.

CLOS JORDANNE CLAYSTONE TERRACE CHARDONNAY 2007 VINTAGES 56929 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 40.00 Wine, White Wine 14.0% Alcohol/Vol. Sugar Content : XD This is a VQA wine Made in: Ontario, Canada By: Vincor International Inc. Release Date: Mar 20, 2010 Tasting Note A very expressive Chardonnay from the exceptional 2007 vintage. The aromas of toast, tropical fruit, floral, peach, and nettles all play off each other to perfection. It’s dry, full bodied, with terrific balance and structure. A real charmer with a long finish. Consider cellaring this ageworthy beauty 3-5+ years, or, if you wish to enjoy it now, decant it (yes, decant a white wine to bring the fruit forward) and match it to roast pork. (VINTAGES panel, Jan. 2010)
Featured 6/1/2009

LE CLOS JORDANNE CLAYSTONE TERRACE CHARDONNAY 2007 VINTAGES 56929 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 40.00 Wine, White Wine 14.0% Alcohol/Vol. Sugar Content : XD This is a VQA wine Made in: Ontario, Canada By: Vincor International Inc. Release Date: Mar 20, 2010 Tasting Note A very expressive Chardonnay from the exceptional 2007 vintage. The aromas of toast, tropical fruit, floral, peach, and nettles all play off each other to perfection. It’s dry, full bodied, with terrific balance and structure. A real charmer with a long finish. Consider cellaring this ageworthy beauty 3-5+ years, or, if you wish to enjoy it now, decant it (yes, decant a white wine to bring the fruit forward) and match it to roast pork. (VINTAGES panel, Jan. 2010)
Featured 6/1/2009

I love Kacaba, they are doing some great work! I last reviewed the 2008 Cab/Syrah and enjoyed it, so I looked forward t trying thsi one. I found it a bit harsh when I first tried in May of 2013 it at the winery (too young) so I decided to let it age a bit. Dark in color with a nice nose of black berries. On the mid pallet the wine displays some lovely rich black berries to match the nose. On the medium length finish the wine displays some lovely tannins, some nice dryness and some nice peppery notes. I quite enjoyed this wine and any harshness has gone away. I would give it an 89 or so. Very nice. $18.95 a bottle at the winery (Not at the LCBO). The 2013 is being released soon. I can’t wait!

I was walking through a farmers market at Ryerson the other day and there was Pilliteri. They explained to me that there is a pilot project allowing wineries to sample and sell there wines at farmers markets! An excellent idea. Ontario’s archaic alcohol laws need some change if only the teeny tiny one this represents. I do digress.

This wine was made explicitly to address the entry level price point, selling for $9. And to top it off they had a $5 off coupon making this a $4 bottle of wine. This wine is a blend of merlot and pinot noir. Dark in color with a slightly sweet nose with raspberries coming through. On the mid pallet this is a fruity wine with raspberries to match the nose. The wine is on the lighter side of medium in length with some tannins, some dryness and some acidity coming through. For a $4 bottle of wine this is not bad. I would give it an 87-88. Sadly I would have to say it’s one of the better Pilliteri wines I’ve had 🙁