2014 Henry of Pelham Family Tree Red – $18.95 – I always look forward to the Family Tree wines from Henry of Pelham. The blend in this wine is 33% Syrah, 29% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Baco Noir. Syrah is definitely the dominant theme in...
2014 Wildass Merlot – Vintages 376822 – $18.95 – ****+ – Beautifully ripe and juicy red fruit climb out of the glass. This is outstanding Ontario Merlot at any price. The Wildass wines from Stratus set the bar for “entry level” wines in the province. The price of this wine...
2012 Union Forté – Vintages 361758 – $16.95 – ****1/2 – There is a lot of people experimenting with fortified wines in Ontario, but the Union Forté sits above everyone else. This wine offers something very different from the nose until the finish. The nose is candied cherry, plum and...
2013 Burrowing Owl Meritage – Vintages 644906 – $54.95 – ****½ – The short word on this is that it’s outstanding. The nose is rich and complex – Lots of blackberry, black currant, cocoa, and licorice. The flavours in this wine are just as rich and complex as what you...
Michael and André go over some books and gadgets to get … or not get.
2012 Stratus Petit Verdot – Vintages 142638 – $38.20 – ****+ – We could call this wine fruit galore. There are aromas of Raspberry, Plum, Strawberry and Blackberry with flavours to match. This wine is approachable now, but will do better with 3 years in a cellar and it will...
Unfortunately my July 2016 visit to Black Hills Estate Winery this summer was abridged. Time had gotten the best of me and I was forced to cut the visit a little short. Without getting into my notes on the wine that winemaker Graham Pierce tasted with me, I can already...
2013 Megalomaniac Big Kahuna – $34.95 – ****+ – This is another great example of everything that’s right with Ontario in a typical summer. This wine calls itself the Big Kahuna, but it’s not as brash as the label would suggest. This wine is pure elegance. The aromas are ripe...
Arterra are a pair of new wines being offered by Jackson-Triggs winemaker Marco Piccoli. These wines are going to fill a hole in the constellation portfolio that has been created by the absence of Le Clos Jordanne. That being said, these are not meant to emulate these wines but be...
2015 Wildass Sauvignon Blanc – Vintages 376814 – $18.95 – ****+ – This is a solid Sauv Blanc from Niagara. There is a nice grassy note that runs through the backbone of this wine from start to finish. There is concentrated tropical fruit with rich passion fruit and pineapple on...
One of the most scenic estates in the Okanagan is Burrowing Owl. I am familiar with many of these wines as they are frequently on the shelves of Vintages. I have always felt that the wines were out of reach because they do tend to get a little pricy when...
I had a chance to visit the Foreign Affair this summer. If you haven’t been down to the winery you may have seen the Apologetic Red recently released through vintages. That being said there are a few wines that make this worth the visit. 2012 Sauvignon Blanc – **** –...
