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...
One of my last winery visits of 2017 was a stop at Rosewood Estates. Winemaker Ryan Corrigan has taken the helm from Ross Wise. Both are very good winemakers but dramatically different in style. Ryan joins Rosewood from Pearl Morissette, which leads me to ask the question – how much...
A couple years ago I had the opportunity to sit down with Pieter Badenhorst or Fleur du Cap. So I was thrilled to have an opportunity to sit down with him again this year. The wines from Fleur du Cap always offer great value and high quality. The Chardonnay and...
Let’s call this post an epilogue on my visit to Oregon last summer. I drove from Oregon to Regina, Saskatchewan to finish off my summer road trip last year. I couldn’t resist making he pit stop in Walla Walla, Washington. Apart from being one of the most fun places to...
Earlier this year I had a chance to do a broad tasting of the current offerings from Southbrook. Last year I had an opportunity to taste a depth of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon. It would seem the wines for sale this year offer something a little bit interesting. Vidal served...
I stopped by Creekside as one of my first winery visits for 2017. It has been a while since i’ve stopped but the recent releases making their way to Toronto through Vintages have been fantastic. Needless to say there is a lot to look forward to available from Creekside. From...
2015 Flat Rock Unplugged Chardonnay – Vintages 68015 – $16.00 – ***½+ – As far as unoaked Chardonnay from Ontario goes there is something a little magical about this wine. The nose is bright, fresh and clean with lemon and lime notes and a potent mineral note that sails over...
2016 Rosewood Nebulous – $24.95 – **** – This is the first “sparkling” offering from Rosewood. I am putting the Sparkling in quotes because it’s not really a Sparkling in the sense that most Ontario wine lovers are familiar. This is essentially an Ancestral style sparkling wine made with the...
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...
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...
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...
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...
