2016 Vineland Estates Elevation St. Urban Vineyard Riesling – Vintages 38117 – $19.95 – ****+ – This continues to be a show-stopper and benchmark for quality and price in the province. This brings perfect balance with acidity but the sweetness on the palate brings an army of fruit to this bottle. You can expect to find lime, macintosh apple, and peach. If you open this today, you can do so without regret and let the fruit lead the charge – if you have the patience you can let this evolve in your cellar for 5-15 years.
2016 Chateau des Charmes Gamay Noir Droit – Vintages 346742 – $18.95 – ****+ – What else should we expect from the hot summer but nice layers of dark cherry and blackberry. There is just something so satisfying about Gamay when it becomes a little heavier and a little brooding. This is the sort of wine that you could put on the table next to roast duck, lamb or beef. Frankly this is a bottle that you are unlikely to find next to anything in my house as I just want to sit and enjoy it on it’s own. There is a nice pepper note on the finish that opens up and the tannin is a little grippy – that will settle down with 2-3 years on it’s side of a half hour in a decanter.
