I have just finished tasting through some of the new wines from Flat Rock that will be hitting the shelves of Vintages in the near future. Seriously though, these are wines we should all be excited about. We have spend so much time talking about 2010 and 2012 as hot summers and the quality of the Bordeaux style wines that Ontario has produced that I think we have forgotten that in the more typical summers there are still many wines that we produce on a very high level. Flat Rock has set the bar very high.
2013 Gravity Pinot Noir – Vintages 1560 – $29.95 – ****1/2+ – (October 31 Release) Simply Stunning. It’s going to take me a minute to collect my thoughts on this wine because it’s just SO good. The fact that it’s less than thirty dollars just makes it better. Simply put this wine smells like a field of violets. Once you get past the nose you get a perfect balance between Ripe Red Cherry and Raspberry, Damp Earth tones and food friendly acidity on the finish. I don’t know why I added food friendly to the previous statement because pairing food with this wine is almost criminal. This is drinking great right now so pick up a few bottles to enjoy over the next few years.
2013 Pinot Noir – Vintages 1545 – $19.95 – ****+ – (Vintages Essential New Vintage Rolling Out) Purely fruit driven with ripe red cherry leading the way both on the nose and in the glass. I dare you to try to not gulp this wine. Between Flat Rock and Coyote’s Run the bar has been set for what we should be drinking for “bargain” Pinot Noir from Ontario. This is something that you could pick up a few bottle to try to cellar it should age well over the next few years, but at this price it’s going to be hard to keep it around the house.
2013 Unplugged Chardonnay – Vintages 68015 – $16.95 – ****+ – (October 31 Release) Most Wine writers will tell you there isn’t much to get excited about when it comes to unoaked Chardonnay. But I’m not most writers. The combination of malolactic fermentation and aging on lees give this wine gives it a beautiful creamy texture on the mid palate. Lees are the remnants of the yeast that was used to turn glorious grapes into alcohol. Your flavours are Apple, Peach and Citrus with the aforementioned creaminess that help these fruit flavours linger in spite of a bright crisp acidity. This wine was made to pair with creamy pasta dishes, or chicken dishes of any kind.
2009 Riddled Sparkling – Vintages 187377 – $29.95 – ****+ – (November 28 Release) Sealed with a crown cap makes this wine a bit of a sleeper on the shelf. If you don’t know, just open this with a regular bottle opener. This is coming out just in time for the holidays. I know I’m an advocate of drinking Sparkling wine year round and not just at special occasions, but having top shelf affordable options just means you can afford to drink more of it around this time of year. The nose is lemon, lime and freshly baked bread right out of the oven. The flavours are bright and citrus with granny smith apple right in the mix. Bright and refreshing acidity on the finish makes this food friendly with just about anything you could put on the table.
