Château des Charmes ‘Generation Seven – Red’ 2009
VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $13.95 (198036) 13.0% alcohol
Recognizing the Bosc family generations born into wine, this red blend—the two Cabernets, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Gamay Noir—opens with a lifted nose of mixed spice, savoury-infused dark berry fruit and hints of toasty notes. It’s rich and succulent with sweet berry fruit, tangy pie cherry and campfire smoke carried along by good weight and a generous mouth feel. It finishes mid length and pours well with smoked and grilled back ribs. (Vic Harradine)
Château des Charmes ‘Generation Seven – White’ 2009
VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $13.95 (197988) 13.0% alcohol
Referencing the Bosc family’s proud wine heritage (with three generations in Niagara), this aromatic blend—Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer—delivers gentle aromas of mineral, lychee and tropical fruit plus great value. It’s mid weight, nicely textured, tangy and bursting with flavour—lime, white grapefruit and white peach. It’s crisp and refreshing with deft balance and a lip-smacking finish. Lovely on its own, pour confidently with cheese tortellini in pesto sauce. (Vic Harradine)
Coyote’s Run Estate Winery ‘5-Mile’ 2009
VQA Niagara Peninsula $13.95 11.5% alcohol
Lip-smacking good and value-packed, this delivers a lovely mouthful of delicious flavour with lemon-lime tang and succulent white peach predominant. It’s a blend of Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Gewürztraminer showcasing a silky mouth feel and generous texture. The aftertaste is a delightful balance of ripe, sweet peach and racy citrus. It’s crisp and refreshing—made to be sipped outdoors and it works well with lighter cuisine. (Vic Harradine)
Santa Carolina Shiraz 2009
DO Valle Central, Chile $9.00 (644062) 13.5% alcohol
Berry fruit and mixed spice box aromas drift from this easy-going, well-priced red. It showers a tangy splash of pie cherry and black currant flavour on the palate carried along with a nicely textured mouth feel and good moderating acidity. The mid-length finish is dry and lip-smacking pleasant. Ratchets up a notch poured with spicy barbecued back ribs. (Vic Harradine)
Tilia Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Mendoza, Argentina $13.00 (163428) 13.5% alcohol
Alluring aromas of exotic spice and field berry fruit provide segue to a rich and luscious fusion of flavour—dark Bing cherry, juicy black berry and nuances of black licorice. It’s generously textured with a long fruit-forward aftertaste. Sipping beautifully on its own, it has the structure to pair well with grilled red meat—burgers or steak. (Vic Harradine)