Meldville – Derek Barnett is back.

I recently had a chance to taste some wines that for fans of Ontario may be the most anticipated wines of 2016.

When the sale of Lailey was complete in 2015 the departure of winemaker Derek Barnett and subsequent rumours surrounding the winery sent a shockwave to the core of dedicated Ontario wine drinkers. Derek may be one of the best, and most underrated people in the industry in Ontario. The Red wines at Lailey were among the most consistent in the province with fantastic Syrah and Cabernet Franc always on the tasting bar.

Derek has reappeared since leaving Lailey working with Karlo Estates. I am looking forward to seeing the work Derek is going to do with the wines at Karlo. BUT, A new virtual label is about to appear via Legends Estates. Meldville is the new label from Derek Barnett. The initial offering will see Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Now to be frank these aren’t big, complex, I’m gonna age these for 20 year kind of wines … which is what you might find from Lailey. You can quote me on this they are “Holy Crap, these are tasty and affordable so I’m going to chug this right now” kind of wines. We should all be happy that Derek is doing stuff on his own and trust me it’s worth tracking down these wines.

2015 Sauvignon BLanc – 20$ – ****+ – This is everything that is right about Ontario Sauvignon Blanc. There are tropical aromas with a nice creaminess and subtle hints of vanilla off the nose. This wine spent 5 months on lees and this definitely takes the edge off the acidity on the finish. While this wine is definitely tropical driven there is a bit of baking spice buried under all the bright flavours that add a very interesting complexity to this wine. Enjoy this wine with seafood or on its own.

2015 Barrel Aged Chardonnay – $20 – ****+ – This is a great medium bodied Chardonnay. I had to raise my eyebrow a bit at the price because, while the aromas aren’t heavy, they are complex. THe nose offers up subtle baking spice layered over orchard fruit with granny smith apple. The flavours on this wine are subtle, elegant and complex. There is a great acid backbone but the flavours of apple, vanilla, and baking spice… (leaning towards cinnamon). The acidity on the finish of this wine is just fantastic keeping the palate cleansed but the spice just lingers. Don’t worry about aging this wine, I’m sure we’ve got a few interesting things coming from Meldville so we can enjoy this wine over the next year or so until the next release.

2013 Cabernet Franc – $25 – ***½ – There is a red wine from Meldville, but the initial offering isn’t as strong as what I am used to from Lailey. This is a little rough around the edges with aromas and flavours of red pepper jelly raspberry, cranberry. There are a lot of roasted herb and bell pepper in this wine but the ripe fruit comes through. The tannin is soft and approachable. I did taste this wine shortly after bottling so I will look to retaste it in a few months. I think the best way to enjoy this wine will be with Pizza or Burgers. This wine does not have huge aging potential so enjoy it young.