Virtual wine tastings: Welcome to the new normal! Ontario Wine Snapshot: My first tasting experience post COVID lockdown happened at Westcott Vineyards, with winemaker Casey Kulczyk. Superb, Marcarini Dolcetto d’Alba “Fontanazza” 2018 - Beautiful young garnet; aromas of black plum, black cherry and a hint of medicinal syrup. The palate is rich and generous, medium to full bodied, with firm tannins and medium acidity. It opens with a mineral freshness before expanding voluptuously with richened red fruits, spiced plum, Christmas pudding and dried cherry lending support. It is a single tank from a single vineyard of 25-year-old vines that were picked and kept separate the whole time. It hits the palate sharply with crisp, clean acids and lingers with its persistent mousse. (Here chatting with Morandin Wines owner Chris Morandin. It was then settled in tank for a half month before bottling. A powerful Dolcetto with superb depth of fruit and excellent complexity, as well as ideal harmony. Rich mid-palate, very good perssistence, middle weight tannins, very good acidity. ($40), Le Clos Jordanne 2017 ‘Le Grand Clos’ Chardonnay, Welcome back! The wine will be an extremely light red, almost pink, and full of light floral flavors like orange blossom and violet. Bachelder’s portfolio of wines really does now resemble a greatest hits collection of terroir and this chardonnay from the Willms Vineyard is another hit. An interesting interpretation of the famed Foxcroft fruit. The journey of evaluating and contemplating it over the next several years will be an exciting one. ‘The Royal Road Recipe’ is made of estate grown pinot noir, of multiple clones, and is quite complex and beautifully structured. For the past 20 years, I have been a freelancer, writing professionally about wines from around the world, based on visits to wine regions from Napa Valley to Champagne, and virtually every region in Italy. It has pretty, complex cedary, blackberry fruit and leather aromas. ... though many area wineries focus predominately on red. Henderson, one half of The Wine Sisters , is a former broadcast journalist turned sommelier who runs tours, tastings and wine … An interesting blend of 71% cabernet franc, 26% pinot noir and 3% syrah. The wine is definitely rounder and meaner, with its layers already beginning to unfold. The “carbon foot print” of the wines’ packaging and shipping is calculated by Carbonzero who offsets the footprint right here in Canada. Palate flavours are rich and soothing, with rhubarb, cran-cherry and black currant notes. Medium-full with excellent concentration. ($14.95), This wine is an “assemblage” of sémillon and estate-grown malbec (yes, you read that right) – the only malbec grown in Prince Edward County. Vinebox. The Ontario Wine Awards recognize VQA varietal quality in 27 different categories and acknowledge winners in Bronze, Silver and Gold Medal levels. There’s also some citrus notes, but not overwhelmingly so. One of the best I’ve had from Canada and that is no overstatement. Rich dark berry fruit on the palate is met with smoothened flavours of mocha, leather, spice and cigar smoke. It’s a wine that’s perhaps too intense for its own good right now. This expression is quite flavourful and concentrated with present, but smooth tannin structure. There’s good minerality on the finish too. ($47.95), Le Clos Jordanne 2017 ‘Le Grand Clos’ Pinot Noir, Currently displaying notes of rich berry fruit with some noticeable oak vanillin integration, this is a wine that has so much potential for those who are patient. And so, I’d like to share all the local wine reviews that I have written, tasted throughout this year. There are also awards of distinction honouring the Winemaker of the Year, White Wine of the Year, Red Wine of the Year, Wine Journalism Award, and Best Label Design. This is nothing short of excellent and it’s truly wonderful and satisfying to see expressions of terroir, via this chardonnay, coming out of Niagara. Hard to resist. ($29.95), Made of 55 percent riesling and 45 percent vidal grapes, it’s fresh and effervescent with palate flavours of ripened orchard fruits. Deep and delicious, this is a quality franc that continues to prove that Niagara knows best when it comes to growing and nurturing this particular varietal in Canada. There’s some good grip that carries secondary characters of dried herbs, graphite and toasted cedar on the long finish. It’s fresh with subtle herbs, tart cherry and earth. ($26.50), Adamo Estate 2015 ‘Wismer-Foxcroft’ Wild Ferment Chardonnay. There’s good oak support here too, which lends to the complex nature of this wine. Track down some of these Canadian wine recommendations, tasted by Decanter's tasting team... Those in-the-know will not have been surprised to see Canada performing so well at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2018, spearheaded by a coveted Platinum Best in Show award for Thirty Bench’s Small Lot Cabernet Franc, from Beamsville Bench in Ontario. Curious which wines made the list of the best cheap red wine in previous years? ($50), Cloudsley Cellars 2017 ‘Homestead Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, A real showstopper of a pinot. Henderson, one half of The Wine Sisters , is a former broadcast journalist turned sommelier who runs tours, tastings and wine … ($45), Traynor Family Vineyard 2017 Cabernet Franc, Made from fruit sourced from a local grower, this Prince Edward County cab franc was fermented on the skins for 24 days and pressed into stainless steel vats and oak barrels where the wine stayed on its heavy lees for four months. This wine advent calendar more closely resembles traditional versions, with 12 doors that reveal the goods. This is fermented in French oak which gives off flavours of honeyed melon, apple and vanilla. Burning Kiln 2017 ‘Stick Shaker’ Savagnin, Perhaps the most interesting wine of their entire portfolio is this – an appassimento style white made from the savagnin grape, a varietal that originates from the Jura region in France. And so this – along with the rest of their portfolio – is really for them. Understandably, appassimento for pinot is a debatable style. It’s a beautiful wine and should cellar nicely for the next three to five years. But thankfully, it has been re-assigned as single vineyard status and we should all feel so lucky if we can get our hands on it. Ontario Wine Snapshot: Perhaps some of the very best chardonnays to come out of Ontario are courtesy of Closson Chase, located in Prince Edward County. Strawberry jam and raspberry sorbet aromas are accented by subtle earthy notes. ($15.95), A pretty nose of peach, nectarine, pineapple and grapefruit leap from the glass. It’s got tight focus, textured minerality and a long finish that is true to the place where it is grown. The 2019 Top 10 Red Wines Under $20: 10) Kirkland Signature Toscana – A Sensational Super Tuscan. There’s intense flavours of lemon zest, apple and pear that hit the palate like a truck out of nowhere. ($90), Exultet Estates 2018 ‘Royal Road Recipe’ Pinot Noir, Hand-tended and hand-picked fruit, grown with organic materials when possible and minimal chemical use are fundamental to achieving excellent wines – especially wines that are true expressions of terroir, like pinot noir is. Usually once February arrives (and the holiday hangover has finally worn off), I get back into the routine of visiting wineries, starting with the Niagara region. The finish is buttery and long. ($19.95), This beautifully tasting and balanced baco was aged in 15 percent new Canadian oak, 30 percent 3rd fill American oak and 55 percent neutral barrels for 10 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulphur. Terroir junkies will want to invest in this. Balanced and ever-refreshing, this lovely wine is quite ready now, but feel free to hold onto it for several years if you’re into collecting well-made riesling. There’s lifted red fruits including strawberry, sour cherry and watermelon that carry over onto the palate. ($44.95), Le Clos Jordanne 2018 ‘Le Grand Clos’ Pinot Noir, There’s a certain energy that can be tasted in this 2018 edition of Le Clos Jordanne’s pinot noir – the second vintage since the brand made its heralded return with Thomas Bachelder at the helm. ($44.95), Bachelder 2017 Willms Vineyard Chardonnay, Believe it or not, this is Bachelder’s first chardonnay made from Niagara-on-the-Lake (Four Mile Creek sub-appellation), and from old vines planted in 1983 no doubt. It’s beautifully expressive with what Tawse calls “that lively hallmark Ontario acidity.” Says Tawse: “The wines at Redstone have their own identity. Cellar potential is 10 years. What stands out the most for me when I taste this annual fan favourite sparkling is the creaminess of the mousse. Konzelmann 2015 ‘Family Reserve’ Cabernet Merlot, Surprisingly quite approachable but will also age well over the coming 4-5 years, this is the third time I have tasted Konzelmann’s signature Bordeaux-styled red blend consisting of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot – and just like the first time (the formidable 2012 vintage), this one is superb. ($34.95), Quality merlot here with red plum, cherry, smoky oak, cedar and spice notes. ($3.95 each), Jackson-Triggs 2016 ‘Entourage’ Grand Reserve Brut, Ontario is producing more and more sparkling to try and meet demand, but one that has been around for a while now is the Entourage and it continues to be one of the best value sparklings on the market. It was very good, quite gulpable actually, and had me further intrigued. ($34.95), This is a classic blend of pinot noir and chardonnay, with 70 percent coming from the 2014 vintage. ($23.99), Dark Horse 2019 ‘Unapologetically’ Brilliant Rosé, From the winery’s ‘Unapologetically’ label – a more consumer-friendly collection that’s made up of a selection of whites, reds and this rosé. Best buy Tesco Finest Malbec Rosé Mendoza, Argentina 2019 (£8, Tesco) Catena, the producers behind this own-label wine, make some of Argentina’s best red … Nicely ripened apple notes and a crisp, focused acidity round out the experience. It’s richly layered, smooth and structured with fine, chalky tannins. It’s an easy-drinking, consumer friendly wine, with plenty of cherry and red fruit flavours over a medium body. It might not need as long as the 2017 to be fully appreciated, but give this at least a few more years before forming any final verdicts – which means you should probably buy yourself more than just one bottle. The palate is juicy and fresh with flavours of pear, oranges and honey melon. This was aged in oak barrels for two years and expresses flavours of cherry with hints of tobacco, chocolate and spice lending support. Its six months in both new and used American and French oak barriques have helped impart structure and character to the wine that also underwent full malolactic fermentation. Medium-full with very good concentration. Bone dry, taught and persistent, this wine reflects its pedigree extremely well. We surveyed master sommeliers and wine experts to find out which red wines are the best to drink right now. If you're not yet a member, you'll see an alphabetically ordered list of the vegan white wine on test. Rich mid-palate, ideal ripeness, moderate tannins, very good acidity. It’s remarkably approachable, yet built for serious aging (up to a decade). The 2016 riesling was pulled from barrel and the 2017 was put in the same barrel to keep the same yeast and malolactic culture alive. Starting at only $10! Ideal ripeness, elegant, mid-weight tannins, good acidity and very good persistence along with excellent varietal character. The palate is an explosion of flavours that sing and dance in complete harmony on the tongue, with peach marmalade, honeysuckle and orchard fruits all working seamlessly. Medium-full, with very good concentration, moderate tannins, very good acidity and persistence. These are the best wine advent calendars to celebrate the season. This 2017 version kicks things up a notch and, thankfully, he’s made more of it (2016’s vintage only saw 59 cases produced, while 2017’s output has almost doubled at 110 cases). Aromatic notes of apple, peach, cinnamon toast and vanilla lead the way to a very balanced, dry mouthfeel comprised of refreshing minerality, salinity, sturdy acidity and a wonderfully textured finish. The wine takes its name from the principal vintage, Dogliani, where the Dolcetto variety is the most widely planted red grape. Only 100 cases of it were produced. ($35.95), Appassimento style pinots are generally not my sort of thing. Many people love the Santa Rita 120 Reserva Especial Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml, CARLO ROSSI Cabernet Sauvignon Sweet Wine 10 750ml and Hardy's VR Shiraz from Red Wines in Philippines. Another best value wine. The palate is rich and savoury, inducing flavour notes of brambled fruit, herbs, earth and minerality. It’s crisp, zesty and refreshingly bright. ($39), A gold medal winner at the National Wine Awards in 2018, this syrah is organically and biodynamically farmed and is structured to age well into the mid-20s. The palate is packed with big and bold fruit flavours of blackberries, black cherries, blueberries, leather, vanilla and cocoa. Excellent varietal character and complexity with impressive length in the finish. ($65), Winemaker Derek Barnett knows a thing or two about making very good chardonnay. © 2020 Forbes Media LLC. Quite possibly the best Ontario merlot in the market for the price. To come up with this ranking, members of the WikiliQ team, including staff, contributors, and trusted industry friends, compiled a shortlist of their favorite red wines tasted in 2019/2020. 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