2014 Joie Farm A Noble Blend – Vintages 454793 – $23.95 – **** – There’s a lot in this bottle with a little Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc, Muscat and Schonberger. I can’t imaging what it must have been like to reach the final blend with such a large group of varietals to work with. This wine is easy drinking, complex and floral. The aromas are like a bouquet of roses with wild flower tossed into the mix. When you take your first sip floral moves right to pink grapefruit. The texture on this wine is heavy and covers your entire mouth with citrus and spice. The finish on this wine may be the best part as the acidity is bright and crisp, but the floral aromas return on a medium long finish.
2012 Megalomaniac Big Mouth Merlot – Vintages 67645 – $24.95 – **** – The nose on this wine is smoky with hints of dark cherry, and blackberry. In the mouth this wine is silky smooth with cherry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry and then hints of vanilla. I have made no secret of my disdain for under ripe merlot in the past, but there is just a hint of something savoury on the finish of this wine and it works really well. What’s great about the savoury note is that it is unapologetic about being from Niagara even coming from a hot vintage. Enjoy this with barbeque over the summer and around the camp fire in the fall.
