South Side Story; the wines of Southern France are the feature of the June 25th release and it’s Canada day on July 1st. Thus there are a few (some exceptional I might add) wines from both Niagara and British Colombia up to toast the holiday.

Wines of the month.

450155 TAPIZ ALTA COLLECTION MALBEC 2013 Mendoza, Argentina $19.95: Pure essence of blackcurrant with support from the likes of black raspberry, blueberry and Dutch licorice. Juicy and ripe; the palate is creamy, echoing the fruit that runs all the way to the long and well balanced finish. Find this wine

325076 CAVES D’ESCLANS WHISPERING ANGEL ROSÉ 2015 Côtes de Provence, France $26.95: Lovely aromas of bright strawberry, citrus, white tree fruit and mineral. Dry styled, plenty of red fruit and nectarine flavours with enough acidity to keep it in tune. Find this wine

SOUTH SIDE STORY WINES

177584 DOMAINE LES YEUSES LES EPICES SYRAH 2013 Pays d’Oc, Midi $15.95: Very fruit forward at first, but with some encouragement, aromas of cave air and wet forest floor appear. Ribena streaks across the palate, and some cherry notes are present as well. It has good structure, nice blackcurrant acidity and enough tannin to hold it for a year or two. Find this wine

295949 CHATEAU EUGENIE CUVEE RESERVEE DE L AIEUL CAHORS 2013 $22.95: Black toffee with dirt, dust, mocha, plum, blackberry, clove and star anise. The palate has a creamy texture, filled with mocha, plum and dark fruit. There are tannins to deal with too, but give it time, it will be tasty. Find this wine

446138 DOMAINE DE L’ALBA L’ERMITE 2013 Corbieres, Midi $17.00: Little if any fruit on the nose. Instead it shows off tree bark, sweet black licorice, wet earth and a strange metallic note. However, the palate is different; it has plenty of juicy plum and sweet cherry flavours, while the earthy side still shows its presence. Acidity is clean and the finish has all the fruit plus a helping of Christmas cake spice. Find this wine

712174 MAS DES BRESSADES LES VIGNES DE MON PURE CABERNET/SYRAH 2013 Vin de Pays du Gard, Midi $21.95: Blackberry takes centre stage and is supported well by a cast of both Szechwan and black pepper, charcoal, damp soil and mineral. It is ripe, the fruit is a powerhouse, but acids are low, the texture is globby and heat on the finish is discernable. Find this wine

451922 DOMAINE DES TERRISSES GRANDE TRADITION GAILLAC 2012 $17.95: Earthy at first; wet soil, potato skin and lead pencil command the front line, but soon notes of strawberry and dark fruit compote appear. Its palate is full of sweet cherry, a mix of red and dark fruit and creamy milk chocolate. Find this wine

222927 ORTAS CAVE DE RASTEAU LA DOMELIERE RASTEAU 2014 Rhone, $16.95: Starting well, with good concentration of dark fruit, blackberry, and damson with mineral and little hint of band aid. On the palate there are pleasing notes of dark cherry and plum, but the astringency levels are high and the fruit on the finish departs too soon. Find this wine

076398 PIERRE AMADIEU LA GRANGELIURE VACQUEYRAS 2014 Rhone $22.95: Lovely floral and lavender aromas with strong support of black raspberry, coal/slate, mineral, dusty cocoa and vanilla. Good amount of sweet red fruit and dark cherry flavours, some hefty tannin and a touch of heat. Worth putting a couple away though. Find this wine

719120 MANUS DEI DU CHATEAU SIXTINE CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2012 Rhone $38.95: Carrying notes of blackberry, damson, cola, mocha, balsa, dark caramel and seaweed. Tasty red and dark fruit aligns well with the mineral and dusty chocolate components, but the 15 degrees of alcohol does burn on the finish. Find this wine

119354 CHATEAU SAINT-ROCH CHIMURES 2014 Cotes du Roussillon-Villages, Midi $19.95: Amazing enticing aromas of black fruit, black toffee, red licorice, leather, mint and fresh cut flowers. It is a fruit driven wine, but it has an upgrade of mineral, salty olive and dark bitter chocolate. Gentle tannins, superb acidity and great structure overall. Find this wine

WINES TO CELEBRATE CANADA DAY JULY 1ST.

556613 BURROWING OWL PINOT NOIR 2014, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia $40.95: Plenty of dark fruit enhanced by thyme flowers, mocha and new leather. Black raspberry appears on the palate that’s lifted by a hint of cinnamon, pepper, nice acidity and plenty of dusty chocolate tannin. Find this wine

461699 HENRY OF PELHAM RESERVE BACO NOIR 2013, Ontario $24.95: This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I am looking forward to celebrating Canada Day with a glass or two of this juice in my hand. It is juicy and ripe, laden with aromas of black fruit, coconut shell and shoe polish. Layers of meaty smoked bacon, mocha and cedar are added to the mix. Flavours of black cherry and blackberry are very pronounced. It is a full bodied wine with great balance and intensity. Find this wine

317925 KACABA CABERNET/SYRAH 2013 Niagara Escarpment, Ontario $18.95: Multiple layers of blackcurrant, blackberry, Szechwan peppercorn, cigar leaf, forest floor, slate and mineral are quite intense. Cassis and Ribena roll around the palate. The structure is solid, oak is deftly administered, acids are in tune and it’s fun to drink. Find this wine

WINE FROM THE REST OF THE PACK

329649 CLINE PINOT NOIR 2014 Sonoma Coast $25.95: The aromas of stewed fruit, mocha, rose water and milky chocolate are pleasing. Strawberry, red currant and cherry abound on the palate; there is sweetness, but the structure is good and it finishes with dusty, but not overly astringent, tannin. Find this wine

451336 TOM GORE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013 California $17.00: I tasted this wine about a year ago; I liked it then (http://blogs.gangofpour.com/three-from-tom-gore) and I like it now as it offers one a decent glass of wine for seventeen bucks. It is evolving well, the blackcurrant, plum and floral aromas are enhanced with a touch of toasty oak. Decent mouth feel, well balanced; its flavours of blackcurrant are solid and there is a note of “Bounty” chocolate bar on the finish. Find this wine

396127 WORLD’S END IF SIX WAS NINE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013 Napa Valley $79.95: A little funky at first with notes of wet earth and manure, but soon the fruit starts to show through and it truly shines. Blackberry and blackcurrant are kissed with notes of black toffee, dark caramel and mocha. It has great intensity and texture, the fruit is solid, and some mineral notes show too, but the tannins are astringent, suggesting a long lay in the cellar. Find this wine

410688 MICHELE CASTELLANI SAN MICHELE RIPASSO VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE 2013 $19.95: Brimming with aromas of dark couverture chocolate, mocha, pipe tobacco, black tea, plum and blackberry. Great texture; the acids are assertive at this stage, but the fruit is solid and once this comes together, it should be lovely. Find this wine

Cheers
CZ

Related posts:

1. Alan Kerr’s June 11th Vintages Release Notes
2. Alan Kerr’s Vintage’s October 25th Release – Tasting Notes
3. Alan Kerr’s Vintages May 28th Release Notes
4. Alan Kerr’s Vintages October 31st Release Notes
5. Alan Kerr’s Vintages February 6th Release Notes