DAVID LAWRASON
”I rate wine quality based on purity, complexity, balance and flavour depth.
Price is not factored into the rating, but reviews better value wines in any price range are more likely to be published.”
Rosehall Run 2009 Pinot Noir Rosehall Vineyard, VQA Prince Edward County ($39.00).
Winemaker Dan Sullivan has a great touch, combining charm and approachability with authentic expression of the grape and his region. This was the only Canadian Pinot to win gold in the San Francisco-based Pinot Noir Shoot Out this year. It has a sweet and generous nose of raspberry-cherry, vanilla, toast, cinnamon and florality. It’s just as fine and seamless on the palate, with a velvety middle and sour edge on the finish. Excellent to outstanding length. Best 2013 to 2016. Rating: 91 Points (David Lawrason)
Devils Wishbone 2009 Pinot Noir non-VQA Prince Edward County, ($29.95)Viticulturalist Paul Gallagher has opened his winery based on 11 acres near Lake on the Mountain east of Picton. He is growing Pinot Noir, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Cabernet Franc. This Pinot has impressive colour depth for the 2009 vintage. It’s aromatically impressive too, very piquant if intrusively volatile with crushed sour cherry/pomegranate fruit, along with black pepper and oak spice. It’s mid-weight and initially supple with sweet fruit. The tannins are very fine, the finish is classic County – stony and dry, with very good length. I would age it a year; it could go for five. Rating: 85 points (David Lawrason)
Colaneri 2009 Insieme, VQA Ontario ($34.95)
This captured the award for Top Red Blend as voted by the winemakers at Cuvee 2012. It is a blend of Merlot, Syrah and Cab Franc with some dried/appassimento fruit. Expect a lifted, complex nose of black pepper, dried cherry fruit, clove and smoky oak – all quite well harmonized. It’s mid-weight, smooth and warm over a lean frame. The spice component is huge, especially on the finish. Excellent length. Rating: 89 points. (David Lawrason)
Thirty Bench 2010 Steel Post Riesling, Beamsville Bench, VQA Niagara, ($30.00).
Year after year Thirty Bench is turning out some of Ontario’s best Rieslings. This is a lovely Riesling with generous yellow plum-pineapple aromas front and centre, some background spice, anise and lemon. It’s only 11.1% alcohol but feels richer thanks to a hint of sweetness and the fruit. It’s seamless and quite refined for a Riesling so rich, with lemony acidity. Big and powerful but still tight and mouth-watering. A touch bitter, with excellent to outstanding length. Rating: 92 points. (David Lawrason)
Huff Estates 2009 South Bay Chardonnay, VQA Prince Edward County, ($29.95)
This is a slender, stylish Chardonnay with signature County minerality on the finish. The nose is evolving, with light wood smoke, nougat, butterscotch and ripe apple-pear fruit. It’s light to mid-weight with a sweetish edge, some richness and even a hint of wood tannin on the dry, slightly chalky finish. Excellent length. Best through 2014.
Rating: 89 Points.
(David Lawrason)
NATALIE MACLEAN
“Every year, I taste thousands of wines and whittle these down to those I believe are worthy of your attention. Often, I only choose one wine for every 10-15 that I taste so I kiss a lot of vinous frogs to find the
princes for you. I feel that my tasting notes are more important than the scores. Don’t just drink the numbers.”
Southbrook Vineyards,Cabernet Franc Triomphe, 2008, VQA Niagara-On-The-Lake, ($22.95). Rich, savoury and juicy, with aromas of red currant and cranberry. This wine was aged in both French and American oak. No fining agent was used for this organic wine so it’s suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Pair with braised beef ribs in a Cabernet sauce, steak. Drink 2011-2013. Rating: 88 points. (Natalie MacLean)
Tawse Winery Riesling Sketches of Niagara 2010, VQA Niagara ($17.95). Stunning! Incredibly intense flavour and mouth-filling juiciness. Medium-bodied. This winery truly deserves its reputation. Pair with grilled salmon, or tilapia with a spicy rub. Drink 2011-2015. Rating: 90 points. (Natalie MacLean)
Henry of Pelham Estate Winery Riesling Speck Family Reserve, 2009, Niagara Escarpment, ($30.00). Lovely petrol and white peach nose with gorgeous balance and mouth-watering juiciness. This wine underwent a cool fermentation and some maturation in the bottle. It has great cellar potential. Pair with shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, or roast pork, as well as pasta with white sauce. Drink 2011-2016. Rating: 90 points.
Creekside Estate Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007, Niagara Escarpment ($34.95). Mouth-watering, savoury, juicy rich red with deeply delicious black fruit, violets, and spice-smoke. Full-bodied, supple, and superb. Pair with grilled lamb chops, smoked prime rib with horseradish jus, older sharp cheddar or grilled game meats such as venison or elk. Drink 2012-2018. Rating: 91 points.
JOHN SZABO
When I taste my starting point is to look for wines that reflect both from where they’re grown and from which grape(s) they’re made. I look for a distinct, recognizable and identifiable profile. . A wine with a wide and appealing array of aromas and flavours, and which lingers on endlessly revealing more and more layers of complexity, will always have a place in my column, and on my table!
Fielding Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2010, VQA Niagara, ($22.95).
Although it’s unquestionably suited to local terroir, Ontario still seems to be searching for a regional paradigm for Cabernet Franc. Fielding proposes a good model to follow with this 2010 release. Aided by the warmth and sunshine of the vintage, it’s open, clean, spicy and quite aromatic, with lots of varietal integrity. Expect plenty of sweet-spicy wood influence for now, alongside sweet herbs, tobacco, charcoal and fresh ripe blackberry fruit. The palate is mid-weight, zesty and juicy, with light but firm grippy tannins and very decent length. An accomplished and tasty wine for the money that’s neither lean Loire Valley style nor a misguided attempt to emulate warm-climate Cab Franc, it’s the happy medium at which Ontario can excel. Rating: 89 points. (John Szabo)
Twenty Twenty Seven Cellars 19th Street Chardonnay 2010, VQA Niagara, $30.00.
Kevin Panagapka’s virtual winery project is moving from strength to strength. First, some excellent single-vineyard Rieslings, then Pinot Noir, and now a classy and flavourful Chardonnay from the vineyard on 19th Street in Jordan, the first release to my knowledge, to add to the range. It’s certainly a smart move as Ontario Chardonnay gains more international recognition. This wine is texturally beguiling, rich and round, but with fine cut and crisp acid. Wood is very well integrated into the flavour profile, and the finish is long and a touch warm. Excellent now, but better after 2013 and then short-term hold. Rating: 90 points. (John Szabo)
Closson Chase Chardonnay 2009, VQA Prince Edward County, Closson Chase Vineyard ($29.95).
A little outside of Deborah Paskus’s typically full-blown, rich style, this is a terrific expression of Prince Edward County Chardonnay that’s eerily reminiscent of very good traditional Chablis, which is a very good thing in my view and exactly what the County can excel at. It’s steely, nervy, chock full of green fruit, wet stone, citrus and some more ‘traditional’ nutty/leesy flavours. The palate is crisp and very dry, beautifully lean, yet concentrated in flavour with long finish — a rare combination achievable in only a few known spots on the planet. Wood influence is a minor component, thankfully, though the contribution from lees is notable, even a little dominant on the finish. Just a tweak tighter still and this would have been an even stronger contender for top Chardonnay in the province. An exciting wine, to be sure. Rating: 92 points. (John Szabo)
MICHAEL PINKUS
I know that when I judge I differ from when I taste for
personal notes. Judging becomes more clinical, is it the right flavour, the right smell for the grape variety it is suppose to be. But for personal notes it’s about what’s in the glass – if it does not smell or taste like typical Chardonnay (like in the case of a Stoney ridge Charlotte’s Chardonnay) but is a fantastic wine, should it be marked down? I do not believe so, in fact I like its veer from the norm. I am looking for what Miller Lite calls “drinkability” and enjoyability.
Pelee Island Winery 2010 Lighthouse Chardonnay, VQA Ontario ($12.95).
A really consumer friendly summer sipper that should fly off the shelves at the price they are asking for. (can you say peanuts?) Juicy apple, hint of lime, touch of peach pit all fall across the tongue, the nice use of oak keep the fruit front and centre. Refreshing on the palate with the merest hint of vanilla. Drink: 2012 – 2014. Rating: 87 (Michael Pinkus)
Karlo Estates 2010 CHOA Chardonnay, non-VQA Prince Edward County ($25.00).
It’s not often that something interesting gets done to Chardonnay … This is an experimental wine from Richard Karlo where he puts the wine in a mixed CHOA barrel which is grown entirely in Prince Edward County, for three months. And what, may we ask is CHOA? It’s a mixed wood barrel made form cherry, hickory, oak and ash … now that is truly interesting. The nose is toasty with vanilla, baked pear and crème brûlée notes. The palate offers up a vanilla toastiness with lovely white fruits that develop as the wine sits in the glass, with a clean and tasty crème brûlée finish. It’s Chardonnay with a new spin. Drink: 2012 – 2018 Rating: 88 (Michael Pinkus)
Konrad Ejbich
When I judge wine, I look for many things: peak ripeness, natural grape expression, competent winemaking. Wine must be without flaws and balanced in all its key elements. That makes it drinkable. As price moves beyond $15 or so, my expectations rise in proportion. Good enough is no longer good enough. I want a sense the wine I’m judging was loved into existence, not simply manufactured into a cookie-cutter flavour profile for some target market. As price continues to rise, I develop a greater appetite for revelation of the wine’s origin and I expect it to be delivered with charm and elegance.
“Eddie Shack” Cabernet Merlot, 2008, Reif Estates, VQA Niagara Peninsula. ($14.95). Considering what a rough-and-tumble player Shack was in his NHL years, this red is a joy and a delight in its liveliness and grace. Pale garnet with pale brick tones at the rim; bright cassis and red cherry aromas along with a subtle bouquet of cedar, tobacco, and polished wood; jubilant, fruity taste and smooth, structured, subtle finish. Drink now to the end of the 2013-2014 hockey season. Rating: 89 points. (Konrad Ejbich)
Bachelder Niagara Chardonnay, 2009, Niagara Peninsula VQA ($34.95). On its own, this outstanding Chardonnay is merely marvelous. In the context of the two sister wines produced in the same vintage in Oregon and Burgundy by former Le Clos Jordanne winemaker Thomas Bachelder, it rises even further in stature. Pale crystal-gold, pure ripe aromas of poached pear, crisp apple, and chipped stone with hints of French oak and vanilla. But just hints. The wine’s brilliance lies in its subtlety, its silky texture, its structured delivery, and long, ripe, supple, clean, complete after taste. Drink now to 2018. Rating: 94 points. (Konrad Ejbich)
“The Silver Line” Pinot Noir, 2010, Magnotta Winery, G. Marquis Niagara Vineyard, VQA Niagara Peninsula ($19.95). Full, dark, cherry-garnet hue, billowing nose of dark fruit, bright red cherry notes and plenty of sandalwood, barrel notes, and smoke. It’s a big mouthful, with full fruit plumpness, some dry bitter skin notes, and a powerful alcoholic lift. This stallion needs time to settle down. Drink now to 2014 for sheer power; 2014 to 2016 for more finesse. Rating: 88 points. (Konrad Ejbich)
