Word has finally made it onto the streets: the Grape Guy is not a chardonnay fan, and every Tom, Dick and Winemaker is out to change that way of thinking. The most recent is Mountain Road Wine Company, who recently released a slew of chardonnays – two of which were award winners: one at the Ontario Wine Awards (OWA) and the other a double-gold recipient at the All Canadian Wine Championships (ACWC). We’ll start with the non-winner of the grouping, the 2004 Unoaked Chardonnay ($15.15); which I believe, by all rights, should have been an award winner. Many wineries are getting away from too much oak in their Chards, while others are giving wine drinkers the option of staved or non-staved (wooded). This unoaked version is wonderfully fruity on the nose with tropical fruit layers: mangoes and pineapple, on a bed at leafy green lettuce, probably from some extended lees contact. The front-palate follows the nose, while the back is peach pit and leafy. There's plenty of alcohol in this one (14%) and the finish is delicious under-ripe peach. Moving along down the line of new Chardonnays is the 2003 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay ($16.15). This one has the same alcohol heat as it's unwooded counterpart, but there's plenty of barrel influenced tastes and smells here; the colour also shows it's a barrel origins with a more golden hue. The nose shows butterscotch, vanilla, and nutmeg with a subtle hint of some grassy-leafiness. In the mouth the wine explodes with a multitude of flavors including: vanilla, toasty spices, some leesy-butteryness, and celery salt; some long oakyness finishes this one off in your mouth (this barrel fermented won the gold at the OWA’s). Finally, we have your double gold medal winner; and with all this hardware they should anoint Steve Kocsis (owner and winemaker) the new King of the Chards, if there was such a crown to be given. The 2003 Barrel Fermented Reserve Chardonnay ($26.15) has got some hot, hot heat in the alcohol department (14.7%), making this one good for drinking or cleaning wounds. The nose is pure butter and vanilla, while the palate shows buttery, oak and cinnamon flavors. This one needs time to settle down and develop further, but its mouth coating flavors and pleasant lengthy finish bodes well for its future.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Fielding Estate Winery 2006 Sparkling Riesling - $28.00
Fielding has been making a name for themselves with their Rieslings, so it only stands to reason that if they were going to make a sparkling wine that Riesling would be the grape they’d choose to make it with. This is winemaker Ray Cornell’s second go around with sparkling wine and it is decidedly a very good effort. This wine is made using the tank method so the bubbles aren’t as long lived as they would be in the traditional method; they start off big and bubbly and calm to a delicate upward trickle. When the cork is first popped you’ll find a fresh, vibrant and extremely moussy wine … but as many hairdressers know, mousse doesn’t last forever and the same can be said here. Once dissipated you’re left with a fizzy refresher that manages to hold on to its bubbles over the long haul; then again a bubbly this good does not remain in your glass for long. Once the foaminess dissipates and the fear of getting bubbles up your nose is gone, take a sniff: fresh apples and peaches with a pleasant toasty under-currant. The peaches and apples follow through in the mouth along with some pineapple and lemon freshness. Good acidity and great taste makes this a worthy addition to the Fielding stable of Rieslings, and one of Niagara’s best sparklers.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Strewn 2006 Cabernet Rosé - $11.95
On this hot day everyone thinks rosé; but when most people think pink it’s either Fiberglass or White Zinfandel … one will cut your tongue, the other will sweeten it … what I’m trying to say is that Pink Wine means sweet, right? Wrong … many of the world’s best rosés are on the dryer side and with some good chillin’ make wonderful aperitifs, patio wines and fish partners. Joe Wills, winemaker for Strewn, has crafted this delicious little number that has all the nuances in the nose of sweet rosé: raspberry and strawberry; but ends with some tart-dryness and tastes like peppered raspberries. Chill it up and drink it down - it’s gonna be a hot one, and you’re gonna need some summertime coolin’ … bon appetite.
Listen to the Podcast of this review - www.ontariowinereview.libsyn.com
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Lakeview Cellars Estate Winery 2005 Merlot - $13.95
Tom Green and his team at Lakeview have done a wonderful job on this 2005 Merlot, and at that price it’s a steal. The ’05 vintage is starting to show signs of its excellence (even though it was a short one) … the wines have high alcohol, great fruit and some real potential for longevity; this merlot follows that model. The nose is dense with dark fruit, licorice, blueberry, plum, cassis, coffee, black raspberry and some burnt toffee aromas. The taste also doesn’t let up with red peppers, blackberries, black cherry, cedar, cassis, chocolate and spice wrapped up in a light tannin coat with a sweet fruit finish. This is one wine is what I call a twofer purchase: one for now, one for later.
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Listen to the Podcast of this review - www.ontariowinereview.libsyn.com
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Lailey Vineyard 2005 Zweigelt - $11.95
According to Derek Barnett, winemaker for Lailey, he has received plenty of good feedback about this year’s Zweigelt, including “best Zweigelt in Ontario.” While that seems like high praise I am not sure he can take that one to his bank manager and negotiate that next loan. Considering there are maybe 9 or 10 wineries in Ontario that are making a straight Zweigelt … it really is more like faint praise. This wine deserves better so how about I try to one up that and make it a little easier for him to hold his head up the next time he walks into the bank. At a recent Austrian wine show (home of Zweigelt) I tried many of these “Z” wines and kept coming back to Derek’s version, using it as my point of reference. The wine spent 10 months in 3 to 4 year old barrels and another 6 months ageing in bottle; the result is a wine that’s cherry red in colour, has red fruit, white pepper and spice on the nose; sour cherry and cranberry with a touch of oak on the palate. This is a true summer BBQ wine if I’ve ever had one, and for 11.95 it truly is a bargain. As for where this Zweigelt stands with the others I tasted, Derek, your wine is truly world class … now that you can take to the bank.
Listen to the Podcast of this review - www.ontariowinereview.libsyn.com
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Ridgepoint Wines 2005 Unoaked Chardonnay - $15.25
In a recent conversation with a winery owner the topic turned to Chardonnay, primarily the oaked and unoaked versions of it. My discourse partner liked wood in Chardonnay, while I said that over-wooded Chardonnay, by the Aussies and Californians, have pretty much killed Chardonnay’s reputation and led to the rise of ABC-crowd (Anything But Chardonnay). Her opinion did not change, she felt that if you want unwooded you’re better off with a Riesling; can’t really argue with that logic. Well this afternoon a Riesling was not in the fridge so I reached for this unoaked number from Ridgepoint. Light and fruity it was just what I was looking for in the middle of the afternoon – lots of good stone and tree fruit while the fresh, pleasant taste in the mouth made this one an easy drinking tongue pleaser. The lovely subtle finish of Mac Apples didn’t hurt it either. I am sure the debate of the Chardonnays still rages on but I’ll gladly put this one in my corner. This wine also took home silver at the most recent All Canadian Wine Championships (2007).
Listen to the Podcast of this review - www.ontariowinereview.libsyn.com
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