2013 Marynissen Platinum Chardonnay – Vintages 471532 – $25.00 – **** – If you’re not a fan of oaked Chardonnay you may want to take a pass on this bottle. That being said this bottle does offer tropical fruit, oranges with butterscotch and woodsmoke. The key to this wine is...
2013 Southbrook Triomphe Cabernet Franc – Vintages 275958 – $21.95 – **** – I submit this wine as evidence that we should be flying the Franc flag high over the vineyards of Ontario. 2013 was a fairly typical summer in Niagara and this is reflected well in the bottle. This...
I was privileged to be one of the first journalists to taste the new vintage of Le Grand Vin. I was also privileged to get to visit the estate. This winery has no tasting room and the facilities in the vineyards are quite literally a working farm. When I met...
2013 Domaine Queylus Tradition Chardonnay – Vintages 417774 – $24.95 – ****+ – The quality of Chardonnay at this price from Ontario is mind blowing. Beautifully complex with vanilla, butterscotch layered over apples and peaches. Flavours match the nose and bring a nice hit of baking spice on the finish....
2013 South Bay Merlot – ****+ – $40.00 – The South Bay site for Huff Estates is certainly a magic place for growing grapes in the province. This bottle is most definitely labelled as VQA Prince Edward County. I have to rub my eyes in disbelief because even in Niagara,...
2011 Stoney Ridge Excellence Chardonnay – Vintages 254243 – $17.95 – ****+ – It has been nearly a year since I last wrote about this wine. While the price has gone down by seven dollars, I feel that this wine has still improved. This wine offers intense tropical flavours and...
2014 Chateau des Charmes Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir – ****+ – $35.00 – The last time this wine was produced was in 2010. This is definitely something very special in the bottle. I know my own impressions when I first took my sip was to do a gustatory...
Red Rooster is a label that many people might be familiar with from BC. They offer affordable bottles with great quality. They have a large portfolio but across the board the wines are solid. 2014 Gewurztraminer Reserve – ****+ – $19.00 – There is all kinds of tropical fruit in...
2014 Canadian Oak Chardonnay – Vintages 149302 – $21.95 – ****1/2 – The nose is rich and complex there is Pineapple, Peach, Vanilla and a hint of something funky. It really doesn’t get more local than this wine. The barrel is made with Canadian Oak and the grapes are fermented...
One winery that was high on my list to visit in BC was Laughing Stock. I have had the opportunity to exchange emails with owner Cynthia Enns in the past. But, I have never had the opportunity to taste any of the wines. In April I reviewed the 2013 Portfolio...
Megalomaniac Bubblehead – $29.95 – **** – This wine is NV but it would seem the currant bottles are a little darker pink that I remember. The nose has a bit of funk to it, but there is nice Cherry and Cranberry coming out of the glass. There is a...
I had the pleasure of meeting Andy Gebert, the animated owner of St Hubertus and Oak Bay. The wines from this place are all very affordable and the white wines are really the forté here. Anyone familiar with my writing will know that I have been critical of Canadian airlines...
