I really should have gotten this out before Christmas – but here we are. Now that the holidays are done and hopefully we are getting to the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic you may need a bottle or two to snag to have something to look forward to in the coming months. These bottles are available at the LCBO right now – but I need to say as someone with a Wine Rack in my neighbourhood I really with that some of these bottles would make their way to the local stores. That being said – thse are both bottles that are very much worth seeking out.
2018 Le Clos Jordanne Le Grand Clos Chardonnay – LCBO 184549 – $44.95 – ****+ – It took a few tastings of the 2017 to understand what exactly Thomas Bachelder was up to – but I don’t think anyone would disagree that the bar was set pretty high. What’s best about the 2018 vintage is how accessible it is from the onset. Where 2017 required patience – 2018 is eager to please. The hot and dry summer comes through bright and clear in this bottle with nice harmony of spice, peach, pineapple, and vanilla notes. Beautiful concentration with a broad texture on the back palate is met with nice acidity. The finish on this wine is medium long with a spice note that lingers. Drink Now – but will improve until 2025-2027.
2018 Le Clos Jordanne Le Grand Clos Pinot Noir – LCBO 184564 – $44.95 – ****+ – In a recent podcast I did with Thomas Bachelder he referred to one of the wines from his eponymous label as muscular- and that certainly applies to Le Grand Clos from 2018. Beautiful intense notes of dark cherry, blackberry, and violet. Wines like this are one of the reasons to love Niagara Pinot Noir – while this wine has beautiful structure and sealed under screw cap it has me confident it will evolve nicely in a cellar until 2030, the silky tannins have it ready to enjoy right now.
