2016 Locked and Loaded Red – $19.95 – ****+ – The blend from this vintage is 34% Merlot, 27% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Petit Verdot. Given that 2016 was an unusually hot and dry summer it’s remarkable the amount of restraint that is in the...
How do you go from scribe to winemaker? We talk to Thomas Bachelder about the path he took to becoming one of Ontario’s most celebrated winemakers.
2015 Bachelder Niagara Chardonnay – Vintages – $24.95 – ****+ – Rich, and complex – this is a return to form after the leaner more mineral driven 2014 vintage of this wine. The aromas of peach and creamed corn climb out of the glass with nice intensity and a dash...
Last Summer Michael and André went to a magical land called Quebec. Where they let you drink wine in the street. This is a chronicle of their adventures there.
2016 Wildass Riesling – Vintages 129700 – $17.95 – **** – We all should drink more Riesling from Ontario. It’s a great way to start building a collection and you don’t need to spend more than twenty bucks to get something top shelf. This bottle from Stratus offers apple, pear,...
2017 Hinterland Borealis – $23.00 – ****+ – It really does feel like every vintage the wines are getting better at Hinterland, and that’s saying a lot because the bar is already very high. This sparkling gamay rosé has become something I anticipate as soon as I’m done my last...
André and Michael talk about what they loved at Cuvée this year.
2012 Redstone Limestone Vineyard Pinot Noir – Vintages 546473 – $22.00 – **** – It’s always exciting to find a quality Pinot from Ontario under thirty dollars. This has a little more weight and the tannin is a little firmer than what you would expect from a Pinot on the...
I think my biggest surprise going through the newest wines from Sue-Ann Staff was that there was a definite hint of sweetness on the Red … but I liked it anyways. I’m not talking Yellowtail sweet – it was just enough sweetness to help pump up the ripe fruit flavours....
André’s apartment nearly burned down … so we talked about what wines you would grab in a real emergency.
2014 Jackson Triggs Entourage Grand Reserve Brut – Vintages 234161 – $29.95 – **** – Outstanding bubbly that delivers a lot of complexity for it’s under thirty dollar value price. Aromas offer apple mingling with a nice bready note. On the palate the fruit opens up with nice complexity as...
I am a big fan of Viña Cobos. The past couple vintages of Chardonnay from this winery have knocked my socks off in terms of quality and price. The Cabernet Sauvignon offers exceptional value and manages to walk a great tightrope of ripe fruit while holding onto a nice acid...
