Archive for November, 2016

In August of 2015, we were contacted by Donna White Communications to see if we were interested in meeting Luke McCollom, the winemaker and viticulturist of one of their client wineries in Oregon, Left Coast Cellars. We were, we did and we quite liked Luke and the wines he opened for us. Fast forward to last month, when DWC contacted us again to ask if we would like to receive samples from wineries in the Terlato Wines portfolio. We’re always up for trying new things, so of course, we replied to the affirmative, and a few weeks later, we received three separate packages. Three of the wines were from California, so we’ll file the first of three reports on these. (There are two others from Italy and a pair from the aforementioned Left Coast Cellars.)

As far as I can recall, the last time we had a Hanna Sauvignon Blanc was during the epic “Blast Me Off to Sonoma” adventure in ’97. That one was from the ’95 vintage, and was delicious. This one proved to be just as impressive.

2015 Hanna Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley, 13.2% alc., SRP $20.00: Clean medium color, with a grapefruit, boxwood and garlic sweat nose; the rich flavors echo with intensity, a hint of lime and some underlying mineral. More than medium bodied, with zippy acids and good length. Drinks just as well on the second night as it does on the first, and is a good match for the usual fish and fowl suspects. A fine example of California Sauvignon that I could drink on a regular basis, which should come as no surprise, as it’s from the Russian River Valley. Find this wine

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The onslaught of premium wines continues with this release showcasing more great wines from California, Italy and Australia. As with the last release, there are several wines priced for those with lower budgets so everyone should be happy. Niagara reds wines from the 2012 vintage are making their way to the shelves. After tasting a couple, I believe it is going to show it is clearly a benchmark vintage. Please read on…

ONTARIO

131037 STRATUS RED 2012 Niagara-on-the-Lake $44.20
A brilliant and skillfully crafted wine from Stratus that offers both power and elegance. The blend of 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Franc, 13% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec, and 3% Tannat is brimming with sweet cherry, blackcurrant, plum, Asian spice, star anise, vanilla and coal dust. It has a solid structure and is showing some peppery tannin. The texture is velvety texture, it has fine-tuned acidity and great length. Find this wine

142638 STRATUS PETIT VERDOT 2012 Niagara-on-the-Lake $38.20
Super ripeness, showing lovely dark fruit, blueberry, damson, mineral, clay and floral notes. Way more tannic than its sister red, but super concentration of fruit and again, perfectly balanced acidity. This is a serious wine that will be best laid down and forgotten about for a number of years. Find this wine

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We received a selection of review samples from our friends at Bonny Doon Vineyards last month, and after giving them the requisite two weeks to rest from their cross-country journey, we were looking for the earliest opportunity to break into them and see what these latest bottlings had to offer. Happily, just such an opportunity reared its pointy little head with a visit from our partner-in-crime, Alan Kerr aka Canadian Zinfan. The three of us have some history with the Le Cigare range of Doon, so we knew exactly which bottles to select to welcome his arrival.

2013 Bonny Doon Vineyards Le Cigare Blanc Arroyo Seco Beeswax Vineyard, 57% Grenache Blanc, 27% Roussanne, 16% Picpoul, 14.5% alc., $28.00: Bright medium straw in color; classic Le Cigare Blanc character of white tree fruit and lanolin, rich, fairly ripe and mineral driven. Full bodied, with excellent acids and nice length. As we reported recently, these are quite cellar worthy, so while it’s delicious and very food friendly now, it’ll only get better over the next several years.
Randall Grahm: “A bit of a richer style than the lean, taut ’11, this is nevertheless a superb gastronomy wine, with excellent ageing potential.” Find this wine

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November‘s release always brings the big boys to the front line in readiness for Christmas and the holidays. Those looking for some special bottles, a simple stocking stuffer or a much-needed post-election drink/drinks, will have plenty to choose from. These are a few notes on some of the many splendid wines on offer that I was able to taste.

ONTARIO

505610 HIDDEN BENCH TERROIR CACHÉ MERITAGE 2012 Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment $38.00
2012 was a stellar growing season for Niagara Meritage grapes and given the high-level sorting standards at Hidden Bench; one should expect wine from this vintage to be outstanding. This bottle exudes aromas of blackberry confit, blueberry, currant and vanilla backed with layers of mineral, leather and forest floor. On the palate, the texture is silky, despite the tannins that do their best to impede immediate enjoyment. It is intense, the acidity is lively, red and dark fruits go crazy, and the finish is long with a hint of cherry liqueur. Find this wine

127324 THE FOREIGN AFFAIR CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 Niagara Peninsula $39.95
Interesting notes of blackcurrant cordial, dark fudge, dark rum, brown sugar, cedar and bacon. Plum and blackcurrant are complimented by streaks of vanilla and chocolate. The Appassimento process used by Foreign Affair, when producing their wines, does leave the finish a trifle sweet, but no overly so. Find this wine

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