If you haven’t had a chance to visit the new LCBO at 49 Spadina I highly recommend it. The vintages session is very well put together and rarely do I leave that store without finding something unique that isn’t available anywhere else in the city. While it would seem that for many of us the idea of having a conversation about race and the wine industry has moved off the front burner and to the back burner. That’s not the case at this location of the LCBO.
I had a chance to taste through some of the wines from Seven Sisters Vineyards and Aslina that are currently available at this location of the LCBO. I was impressed – the lineup of wines is all very well priced. But regardless of the fact that these wines are being celebrated as part of the larger movement to acknowledge issues of representation in the largely white (and male) dominated wine industry – the bottom line is – they are tasty. I’d be the first to admit that the South African section of the LCBO is not something that is normally very exciting, that is definitely not the case with these wines. The wines tasted in this post were clearly well curated by Gradwell Wines before bringing them to market.
2019 Aslina Chardonnay – $24.95 – **** – Aslina Wines are made by South Africa’s first black female winemaker – Ntsiki Biyela. Her winemaking philosophy is informed by her experience in Tuscany and Bordeaux. This Chardonnay is a beautiful, elegant, and restrained take on the grape. This is the sort of Chardonnay that I could drink all day, every day – the aromas are complex with baked apple and spice. A nice mineral note quietly announces itself on the nose – grows on the palate – and lingers long on the finish. There is some oak on this, and that’s the restraint I’m talking about. A whisper of vanilla opens up once it passes your lips but it does a delicate dance with the mineral note. To be honest, if you’re a lover of Niagara Chardonnay this is something you need in your life.
2016 Brutus Family Reserve Chardonnay (Seven Sisters Vineyards) – $? – ***½ – If you’re a fan of Chardonnay that is unrestrained in its use of oak (yes – some of us still do exist) this is the bottle for you. This oozes with toasted oak, spice, and vanilla notes that drive the flavour bus from start to finish on this wine. In spite of barrel use this has a bright acid note that is trying to make room for fruit. This isn’t all barrel – there are notes of pineapple, canned peach, and tangerine that are fighting for attention. This may improve with a year or two in cellar, but I’m not sure how much longer I would want to hold this given it has a few years in bottle. My last note – do not serve this too cold or those barrel notes will completely clobber everything in this bottle, closer to room temperature and serve without food is the best way to enjoy this.
2019 Seven Sisters Vineyards Pinotage – $18.10 – ***½+ – With aromas of blackberry, and blueberry jam – this is an avalanche of ripe fruit. On the palate this begins to reveal notes of smoke and coffee. What is really interesting about this wine is a note of tomato stem rears its head on the mid palate begging you to take your next sip. If you’re looking for a pizza and pasta wine this is what you should have in your glass. Soft tannin and nice acid seal the deal to make this simply crushable with your tomato based meal.
2015 Brutus Family Reserve Shiraz – $36.80 – ****+ – Winemaker Vivian Kleynhans is responsible for this outstanding Shiraz. The winery is owned by her and her six sisters – the business was started in 2005 with their own vineyards being established in 2013. This may be missing a bit of the Shiraz-ness from it – there is that hint of spice that just doesn’t appear – but man it’s tasty. This is intense blackberry, raspberry, and blueberry wrapped in a black licorice jacket. The juicy fruit flavours enter your mouth like an invasion that goes from cheek to cheek. But it is not unruly, perfect acidity keeps this in check and just adds to the satisfaction of this wine. Tannin somehow manages to be both soft and chunky at the same time – this has a long life ahead of it if you decide to cellar it. Squirrel a bottle away until 2030 maybe a few years longer.
2018 Aslina Umasane – $31.95 – ***½+ – I have a hard time imagining South Africa as a bastion of cool climate Bordeaux varietals – but here we are. Umsasane is an umbrella tree and also the nickname of Ntsiki’s grandmother. There are strong hints of pyrazine in this wine. The blend is made up of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, and 11% Petit Verdot. Aromas of red currant, sour cherry, and raspberry meet red pepper jelly and tomato stem. This does need a couple years in a cellar for the chunky tannin to soften but I wouldn’t hold onto this for too long so you can grab hold of the tart red fruit before it dries out. Enjoy by 2025.
2014 John Brutus Reserve – $45.60 – ****+ – A stunning bottle that should find its way into your cellar. But if you’re impatient that’s okay too thanks to velvet soft tannin. This is a blend of 33% Petit Verdot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 17% Malbec. Before I get into the tasting notes it’s unusual to see a Bordeaux style varietal with Petit Verdot leading this charge. Regardless of the assemblage this bottle definitely works. An explosion of cassis, violet, and vanilla leap out of the glass the moment you first pour this wine. The fruit flavours are plush and the texture of this wine feels deep and seemingly endless before it rolls off the back of your tongue. While the tannin is soft on the onset it does sneak up on you the deeper into the glass you go – so an hour in a decanter should help soften this wine. Drink now, or hold until 2035.
