Canadian Wine Guy

I tasted this one at the winery. Pale in color with a light nose of minerality. On the mid pallet the wine displays some lovely minerality to match the nose some mild peach and some lime. The wine is medium in length that builds nicely in the mouth. I’m not normally a pinot gris lover but this is a pretty good one with some nice complexity. I would give 88-89.

From the LCBO web site:
FIELDING PINOT GRIS 2011 VINTAGES 251108 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 21.95
Made in: Ontario, Canada By: Fielding Estate Winery
Release Date: Aug 18, 2012
12.0% Alcohol/Vol. Sugar Content: 10 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: D – Dry

Tasting Note
Complex, structured and brimming with finesse and charm, this is balanced, food friendly and lip-smacking good. It’s slightly bronze/pink hued and nicely perfumed with sexy aromas of honeysuckle, musky spice and honeydew melon. Fully flavoured and textured, nicely balanced and silky smooth, a persistent wash of soft tropical fruit flavours, key lime and grapefruit pith ends crisp, tangy and refreshing. Score – 4 1/2 Stars (out of 5). (Vic Harradine, winecurrent.com, April 28, 2012)

Dark in color with a red berry nose. On the mid pallet the wine displays some classic albeit mild pinot noir flavors with red berries and some rustic notes coming through. The wine is a blen of 9% cab sauv, 41% pinot noir and 50% merlot. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice mild tannins and some earth notes typical of pinot noir. For $15.95 a bottle at the winery it’s a pretty good deal. Very food friendly! We paired it with a Maltese baked macaroni and it went very well!

From the Winery’s web site
Winemaking Notes
Grapes underwent a short cold soak, and were fermented in stainless steel with a temperature-controlled maceration. Gently pressed, with malo-lactic fermentation completed in barrel. Each of the varieties were vinified separately and then combined after they were aged on their lees for one year in barrel.

Technical Details
Cooperage: French (80%) and American (20%) Oak barriques, hogsheads and puncheons.
Harvest Dates: September 14 to October 27, 2011

I like my chards California in style, nice butter, cream and vanilla. The 2008 vintage of this wine was one of my all time favorite Niagara chards. So I popped down to the winery to pick up this years for Christmas presents. Niagara wines can vary quite significantly. 2009 it turns out was a cool year (in comparison to 2008). Pale in color with a minerally nose. On the mid pallet this wine hits you in the face with firm bright acidity. For me it was tart grapefruit. The wine is long in finish with the minerality building in the mouth and coating the pallet. For me this was a big disappointment. This is so not my style of chard. I would give it an 88 or so. If you like your chards minerally you may prefer this one. $38 a bottle at the winery, not in the LCBO.

From the winery’s web site:
Winemaker’s Comments
Enticing lemon gold colour with aromas of baked pear and honey blossom on the nose. On the palate, typical Felseck Vineyard mineral layers, fresh green apple and citrus bring complexity while the fresh acidity gives balance to this rich and creamy, age-worthy Chardonnay.

Another one from the Trialto tasting of Southbrook Whimsy! wines. Dark in color with a mild nose with some menthol coming through as well as some red berries. On the mid pallet there are some nice red berries with sugar under control. On the finish the wine displays some nice tannins and a slightly spicy finish. This wine has a very nice big mouth feel that builds. This is a nice wine with a nice bit of complexity. I would give it 89-90. Not available from the winery, but available from Trialto for $34.95 a bottle.

From the Winery’s web site:
Wine Lovers’ Notes: In the Glass

Deep red in colour with purple highlights. The nose bring notes of black berries and cassis within a frame of sweet spice, cigar box and fruit cake aromas. The broad palate is rich, deep and layered with silky and abundant tannins with a complex, lengthy finish of mocha and toast.

Gold Medal – 2012 InterVin International Wine Awards

Winemaker’s Notes: In the Vineyard
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Appellation: VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake Brix at harvest: 24.7°

In the Winery
Alcohol: 13% Titratable Acidity: 5.8 g/l ph: 3.73 Residual Sugar: 3.5 g/l Bottled: December 15, 2011
Closure: Natural cork Cases Produced: 102 Release Date: September 29, 2012

I tasted this one at the Trialto tasting of Southbrook Whimsy! wines. Bill Redelmeir (the owner), Brian Hamilton (the winemaker), Reagan Kapach (the assistant winemaker) and Ann Sperling (Director of Winemaking and Viticulture) from Southbrook came to Toronto for the event and gave us lots of information about the winery and the wines. Slightly golden in color with a slightly creamy texture to the wine in the glass. It has a mild nose with some minerality and chard fruit coming through. On the mid pallet this is a bold wine with lots of chard fruit, and some vanilla. On the finish this wine is medium in length and beautifully coats the mouth with lovely flavours that linger nicely along with some acidity and minerality typical of Niagara on the Lake Chards. This is a well made wine. It’s only available from the winery or from Trialto for $34.95 a bottle. I would give this a 90. Yummy. It’s a fine example of the incredible wines coming out of Niagara and one of my favourites from the evening! Keep up the great work at Southbrook folks! I also enjoy their Triomphe Chard!

From the winery’s web site:
Winemaker’s Notes: Varietal: 100% Chardonnay Appellation: VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake Estate vineyard
Brix at harvest: 22° & 23.7° Alcohol: 13.2% Titratable Acidity: 6 g/l
ph: 3.4 Residual Sugar: 5.8 g/l
Bottled: September 19, 2011 Closure: Natural cork Cases Produced: 70
Release Date: November 2012
In the Cellar

This 7 barrel Whimsy Blend was selected following 11 months of barrel aging following indigenous fermentation and MLF in these same barrels. The slightly larger barrel formats of 265 L, rather than the standard 225 L allow quicker, and more subtle, integration of oak with the wine creating an elegant richness.

I tasted this one at the LCBO taste Ontario event. This is a winery located in Lake Erie North Shore. An area on Ontario wine making I’ve yet to explore! Dark in color with a bit of an odd nose. On the mid pallet there are some mild plum flavors typical of a Merlot. On the finish there’s some spicy peppery flavors along with some acidity and noticeable tannins. This was a very nice wine. A lovely surprise. I would give it an 88-89. According to the Winery’s web site it’s $15 a bottle. The tasting sheet from the event said it was $20 and suppose to be in the LCBO under product code 310532 but I couldn’t fine it.

Light in color with a lovely inviting nose of light plums and some oak. On the mid pallet there are some light plums to match the nose along with some bright acidity. There are some mild cab like flavors as well. On the finish the wine has some nice tannins, some acidity on a medium finish that build nicely in the mouth and some spicyness. While not a strictly fruit forward merlot this is a lovely wine. I would give it a solid 89-90. We paired it with a BBQ salmon and it went well!

From the LCBO web site:
ANGELS GATE MOUNTAINVIEW MERLOT 2010 VINTAGES 299172 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 18.95
Made in: Ontario, Canada By: Angels Gate Winery
Release Date: Oct 27, 2012

Wine, Red Wine 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Sugar Content: 2 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry

Description
Rich and complex with notions of plum pudding, dark cherry, chocolate cake and woodsmoke. Vibrant cherry and plum notes on the smooth, structured palate.

Tasting Note
Here’s a rich, complex Merlot from Ontario’s ideally suited 2010 vintage — and at a fantastic price. Opens to attractive notions of plum pudding, dark cherry, cola, chocolate cake and woodsmoke. There’s a vibrancy of acidity on the palate, bringing elevated notes of tangy red cherry and plum backed by smoky and chocolaty accents. Lovely smooth texture and ripe, structured tannins on the way to a smoke-kissed finish. Pair with roast lamb and mushrooms, or some smoked provolone. (VINTAGES panel, Aug. 2012).