2015 Wildass Riesling – Vintages 129700 – $16.95 – ***½+ – The Wildass label continues to be one of my favorite on the shelf of the LCBO. This is the second label from Stratus, and as with the wines under the “premium” label (I use this word reluctantly) the bar is set very high. There is a perfect harmony of lime and mineral notes on the nose and on the palate. This is off-dry and balanced with nice acidity. The sweetness does linger a little on the finish so be mindful with your food pairings. Match this with spicy asian or mexican cuisine and enjoy having the bright acidity cut right through the spice and keep your palate refreshed.
2015 Thirty Bench Winemaker’s Blend Double Noir – $18.95 – **** – This is a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir. I’m a big fan of seeing these grapes mated together. In Beaujolais you have winemakers that will call their wines “presqu’pinot” to describe some Gamay that ends up coming close to what you would expect a little further north in Burgundy. This is light on it’s feet with refined ripe cherry and blackberry notes with a hint of freshly cracked pepper. This wine is something versatile and food friendly with enough structure to hold up to grilled beef (Who am I kidding? Let’s pair this with steak) and light enough to match grilled chicken. One should never underestimate the power of putting good Gamay on the table next to a well cooked meal.
