2014 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay – LCBO 081653 – $13.95 – **** – This vintage of Barrel Fermented Chardonnay from Chateau des Charmes just may redefine entry level Ontario wine. This offers everything that a good Ontario Chardonnay should have. Hints of vanilla and spice on the nose layered over nice...
2012 Chateau des Charmes Blanc de Blancs – $28.95 – ****+ – Blanc de Blancs means that this bubbly is made with only Chardonnay. This style of Sparkling is quickly becoming my favorite in the province. The nose on this wine is creamy vanilla, citrus and fresh baked bread. This...
I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my reviews and blog posts on this website. When I relaunched the site earlier this year I had no idea people would actually read what I write. I have some exciting things coming out on this webpage for 2016...
Someone found a new favorite wine on November 5th. At the Great Hall in Toronto sixteen wineries arrived to share a piece of the harvest with the city. I had never been to the great hall but the venue was great for a walk around tasting. The iYellow crew really...
2012 Chateau des Charmes Equuleus – $40.00 – ****1/2 – Simply put this wine is fantastic. This is a perfect indicator of the quality of the 2012 vintage with a wine that is both approachable right now (with some decanting) and will make a great addition to a budding wine...
2012 Chateau des Charmes Gamay Droit – Vintages 346742 – $16.95 – ****+ – I think many people underestimate the aging potential in Gamay. 2012 was a very hot summer giving us nearly perfect growing conditions for the Bordeaux reds. Drinking great right now you will find blackberry and dark cherry...
The trick to serving all three of these wines it to makes sure you don’t over chill them. If you serve these wines at fridge temperature they will all taste like you are drinking a popsicle stick. When you want to serve these wines toss them in the fridge for...
Westcott Violette Brut – $24.95 – Winery Only – ***1/2+ – Bright, fresh, and young. This easy drinking sparkling has loads of citrus and lemon with crisp acidity on the finish. This is a welcome addition to the growing landscape of great Ontario sparkling wines. This is very well priced,...
2012 Bricklayer’s Reward Block 7 Cabernet Sauvignon – Vintages 406124 – $19.95 – **** – So far every bottle from the Bricklayer’s Reward series has impressed … this Cabernet Sauvignon is no exception. The nose has Pencil Shavings and Cedar notes with Currant and Blackberry. The flavours in this wine...
3 weekends, 58 wineries, 15 events… this is Icewine in January in Niagara. Everything you need to plan your visit can be found at www.niagarachilled.com. The weather this week dipped below the magic number of -8°C when winemakers descend into the vineyards to harvest the frozen berries to extract their...
2012 AJ Lepp Reserve Merlot – Winery Only (http://www.peninsularidge.com) – $19.95 – This has become a perennial favorite of mine and definitely did not disappoint. Very smooth and loaded with ripe flavours of Raspberry and Cherry. The finish has hints of Mocha and Dark Chocolate and is very smooth. This...
I realize we are getting into the end of summer … so I thought I would feature a couple to get us through some warm fall days. 2012 Reif “The Empress” Unoaked Chardonnay – LCBO 346791 – $12.95 – Rich and Crisp with loads of Golden Delicious and Macintosh apple...
