I always look forward to these wines every vintage. This year is definitely continues the trend of quality and value making these wines perpetually some of the best sparkling wines in the province.
2013 Featherstone Cuvée Joy – $34.95 – Vintages 310334 (Dec 2018) – **** – I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for this wine. I have said it once, and I’ll say it again – Joy is one of the most underrated wines in the province, and everyone should be drinking it. Here are my arguments to why – It’s very reasonably priced, it tastes better than most entry level Champagnes. It is sealed with a crown cap, so you don’t need to worry about corked bottles. It’s a Blanc de Blancs so you can get your Chardonnay fix. The new label is shiny, and let’s face it – we all like shiny things. The aromas are fresh bread, lemon, and golden delicious apple. The flavours match the nose and everything is wrapped up with crisp acidity. Expect to find a few bottles of this in my home to be enjoyed with great company.
2016 Featherstone Cuvée Joy Rosé – $29.95 – Vintages 450700 (Oct 2018) – ****+ – There is so much red fruit in this bottle – Strawberry, Maraschino cherry, and raspberry. It’s so fresh, and concentrated. I am looking for a more sophisticated word to describe this wine – but it’s just yummy. The flavours match the nose and the concentration of these red fruit flavours are outstanding. There is almost a battle taking place on the palate between the lush, rich red fruit and crisp acidity that brings up the finish. This is an essential bottle to have around your house for your summer entertaining because this will pair with anything you can take off your grill whether it’s steak, chicken, or grilled fish. This is another bottle that seems to get better with every vintage from Featherstone, and while the 2016 has just arrived I am already looking forward to next summer.
