What We’re Drinking Now!
The last few weeks have been filled with all kinds of wine fun! From Niagara’s Icewine Festival to the LCBO’s feature on BC wines we’ve been treated to some very nice bottles, indeed. But the party’s not over yet. Here are the wines we’ve for which we’ve gone back for seconds and they’re still around so you can try them, too.
Osoyoos Larose “Le Grand Vin,” VQA Okanagan Valley, BC 2008
$45 Vintages 626325
A merlot-dominated Bordeaux blend, from the cooler, shorter, more challenging ’08 vintage, this garnet-red wine has been aged in French oak (60% new) for 20 months. The results are an impressively Bordeaux-esque wine that’s showing some maturity with a nose of leather, spice, wild herb, incense, dark chocolate black olive and fig notes. Great structure on the palate with grippy tannin and balanced acidity, this has focus and power with flavours of coffee bean, cooking spice, old leather, dried leaves, pencil led, and cassis. Fans of Bordeaux won’t be disappointed in this old school wine, but based on the tertiary flavours, we wouldn’t hold onto it longer than 2015 – if that long. But so what? Enjoy it tonight and enjoy with braised red meats or even seared duck breast.
Quails’ Gate Pinot Noir, VQA Okanagan Valley, BC 2010
$24.95 Vintages 585760
Aged half in stainless steel and half in barrel, 20% of which is new, this is a rustic, earthy version of pinot. With aromas of spice, smoke and fig/prune fruit, it’s sweet on the entry with flavours of dried leaves, tobacco, spice and fig with a bitter walnut finish and elevated acidity. Quite nice against braised beef short ribs and roasted beets.
Meyer Family “Reimer Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, BC 2010
$49.95 Vintages
Coming to Vintages February 7th, this is a lovely single-vineyard pinot from the Kelowna area in northern Okanagan. Absolutely enchanting with aromas of wood smoke, bacon, violet incense, toffee, coffee bean, raspberry and plum. Medium bodied with fine grain tannin and a great backbone of acidity, this has flavours of crushed black pepper, smoke, tobacco leaves, black plums and raspberry with some bitter wood tannins on the finish. Reminiscent of a rainy fall day, this would be a welcome pairing to beef stews or coq au vin.
Mission Hill Reserve Chardonnay, VQA Okanagan Valley, BC 2010
$19.95 Vintages 545004
A Vintages Essential, this is an easy drinking chard that has good value for the money. Aromas and flavours of lemon/lime, toast, and ripe orchard fruit, it’s soft and round on the palate with nice acidity – a great pick for a party wine or as an everyday chardonnay.
13th Street Premier Cuvée, VQA Niagara Peninsula, ON, 2008
$34.95 13thstreetwinery.com
A fine example of why Ontario can produce world class sparklers. Fresh and bright, with aromas and flavours of lemon cake, brioche and yellow apple, this chardonnay/pinot noir blend offers elegance with a delicate bubbles and excellent balance. A very pretty wine that can be paired with everything from fresh seafood to fruity desserts, or simply enjoyed solo.
13th Street Meritage, VQA Niagara Peninsula, ON 2010
$34.95 13thstreetwinery.com
Equal parts cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot this rich, opulent wine from the very hot 2010 vintage is concentrated and powerful with flavours of fruit cake, brandied cherry, roast walnut, dark earth, black olive, and floral notes. A nice seam of acidity keeps everything tight and focused in the glass. Decant and enjoy tonight with roast red meats or tuck away in the cellar until 2018.
Trius Pinot Grigio, VQA Niagara Peninsula, ON 2011
$15.95 316414
A faint pinkish/coppery hue in the glass, this is fragrant with ripe peach and floral aromatics. Surprisingly weighty for a Pinot Grigio, with a soft creamy texture and ripe flavours of stone fruit, paraffin and a lemon-citrus finish. Great acidic lift offers some nice balance. Very good value for the money.
Cave Spring “Estate Bottled” Cabernet Franc, VQA Beamsville Bench, ON 2007
$24.95 Vintages 72751
This is a terrific showing of what Ontario can do with Cab Franc. Aged 13 months in a blend of French, Hungarian and American oak, 45% of which was new, this is is quite the powerhouse red coming from the hot ’07 vintage. Ripe aromas of cassis and dark cherry with some face cream and a hint of iodine/bloody notes. Full bodied with concentrated flavours of cassis, earth, fruit roll-up, spice and black licorice, Powerful but elegant with fine tannin, balanced acidity and nice length. Ready to drink now with roast game or braised beef.