2015 Henry of Pelham Family Tree White – Vintages 251116 – $17.95 – ****+ – The blend on this wine is always a little different but every year this wine seems to deliver something delicious and unique. For 2015 the blend is mainly Viognier with Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer and Chardonnay Musqué. There is a nice presence of oak in this wine and it helps balance out the floral qualities from the aromatic grapes in this bottle. The nose is vanilla and baking spice with passion fruit, peach and apple. The flavours match the nose and bring a little bit of baking spice to every corner of your mouth. The acids are palate cleansing and refreshing but there is something that lingers that has this begging to be paired with cream based pasta sauces. If you’re too lazy to put a meal together to go with this wine there’s nothing wrong with that. Make sure you don’t serve this too cold to really let the tropical fruit climb out of your glass.
2012 Henry of Pelham Estate Cabernet-Merlot – Vintages 395855 – $24.95 – ****+ – This is one of those bottles that you should run to the LCBO to grab a bottle. There is rich strawberry, blackberry and cassis on the nose. There is a lot of rich concentrated fruit flavours that go from red to blue – wild strawberry, blackberry, cassis, blueberry and whispers of cocoa and smoke that pokes it’s head through on the finish. The tannin is soft and approachable, but there is a lot of structure to this wine and it would make a terrific addition to a cellar. This should age over the next 5-8 years.
