July 8 – 2013 Henry of Pelham Speck Family Reserve Chardonnay – 2014 Tawse Gamay Noir

2013 Henry of Pelham Speck Family Reserve Chardonnay – Vintages 616466 – $29.95 – ****+ – Soft, Balanced, Complex and Elegant. There is a lot going on in this bottle, but it all feels restrained. To be honest, this restraint is what makes this wine so good. The nose is Apples, Peaches, Vanilla, Butterscotch and hints of Smoke. The flavours bring everything you get on the nose and a bit more with the fruit moving from ripe orchard fruit to roasted pineapple. The finish on this wine is very soft and has hints of spice, but the acidity leaves the palate refreshed. The long finish leaves you with hints of vanilla and butterscotch. This is everything that is right about Ontario Chardonnay. Make sure not to serve too cold or the oak flavours will overpower all the fruit, serve this after keeping in the fridge for 30-45 minutes.

2014 Tawse Gamay – Vintages 322545 – $19.20 – ****+ – This wine was good from it’s first release a few years ago and every year it gets a little better. The nose is heavy black cherry with a bit of spice and something floral mixed in there. The fruit is nice and concentrated with intense cherry, raspberry and strawberry. Coming in at under twenty dollars this is a great wine for your dinner party when you want to dress up the table without spending a fortune. This Gamay will make a great match to Beef or Lamb but is also light enough to go with Fish and Chicken dishes. The finish on this wine has nice acidity and leaves with just slight hints of pepper.