2013 13th Street Merlot – Vintages 270504 – $17.95 – ***1/2+ – I have made no secret for my disdain for Ontario merlot. I know Ontario can make great Merlot in hot vintages like 2010 or 2012 but often in the cool vintages you end up with wine that just falls short. This is certainly not the case for the 13th Street Merlot. The nose is jammy sour cherry and the flavours on this wine include sour cherry, currant and cedar on the finish. Merlot like this would be great to pick up for any entertaining because it is so approachable. There is no need to decant or age this wine, just open and serve. This will make a match to beef dishes of any kind.
Since this wine was tasted Norman Hardie has been accused of sexual misconduct. The article can be found here – https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-canadian-winemaker-norman-hardie-accused-of-sexual-misconduct/
2013 Norman Hardie Niagara Unfiltered Chardonnay – Vintages 184432 – $39.00 – ****+ – Don’t let he price scare you away. This is the sort of wine worth picking up and setting aside for a special occasion. This is rich and buttery right on the nose over layers of apple and citrus with flavours to match. The finish on this wine is long and loaded with creamy vanilla. It’s high quality wines like this that I prefer not to pair with anything and frankly not to share (unless I really like you).
