Cave Spring Cellars ‘CSV’ Chardonnay 2006
VQA Beamsville Bench $29.95 (529941) 13.5% alcohol
Reflective of its breeding—30-year-old low-yielding vines and prime terroir—this flagship wine is structured, balanced and downright delicious. Lifted aromas of toasty notes, vanilla and baking brioche introduce mouth-watering flavours of ripe Bosc pear, crisp Granny Smith apple and spice-infused tangy yellow plum. Mid weight with a fully textured mouth feel, it has a complex lengthy finish with notes of vanilla, tree fruit and exotic spice. In Eastern Ontario e-mail Lauren This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to order by the case for daily office or home delivery—everywhere else in Ontario via Cave Spring Cellars. (Vic Harradine)
Cave Spring Cellars ‘Estate’ Chenin Blanc 2007
VQA Beamsville Bench $18.95 12.0% alcohol
This is tangy, rich and drinking well now, promising even more in a year or so. Aromas of mineral, floral and gunflint segue firm and focused flavours—orange rind, red currant and racy laser-like citrussy tang. It’s mid weight and nicely textured sporting a crisp, refreshing mouth-watering finish. Poured and paired well alongside pan-seared scallops over arugula under a generous drizzle of lemon butter. In Eastern Ontario e-mail Lauren This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to order by the case for daily office or home delivery—everywhere else in Ontario via Cave Spring Cellars. (Vic Harradine)
Daredevil Wines Cabernet 2007
VQA Niagara Peninsula $36.00
Two young Turks from Niagara fashioned this red blend—a 50-50 split of Franc and Sauvignon—at their newly minted virtual winery. However, their recipe is as old as dirt—take a crackerjack winemaker—Marc Bradshaw, the only one from Canada on the short list for Wine Innovation’s ‘Young Winemaker of the Year - 2009’—and a sales/sommelier visionary—Marcel Morgenstern, and let ‘er rip! Expansive aromas of toasty oak, espresso roast, savoury and spice-infused berry fruit segue a surge of fully textured, beautifully balanced flavour with cassis, black currant and ripe mulberry galore. The lingering finish dishes out a moderating hit of minty red cherry. Only 4 barrels produced—move quickly on this unique offering. Order by the case of six for daily office or home delivery from Daredevil. (Vic Harradine)
Hidden Bench Vineyards and Winery ‘Estate’ Chardonnay 2007
VQA Beamsville Bench $35.20 14.3% alcohol
Vanilla, oaky and persimmon on the nose, this complex and beautifully structured white doles out a generously textured stream of flavour—it was barrel fermented, lees stirred and aged in French oak—with caramel-infused apple, nutty notes and lip-smacking citrus to the fore. It’s balanced throughout with the lingering finish layering on exotic spice and a peel marmalade flavour. Drop-dead gorgeous now, it’ll improve in bottle over the next two to three years. Order by the case for daily office or home delivery from Hidden Bench. (Vic Harradine)
Hidden Bench Vineyards and Winery ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir 2007
VQA Beamsville Bench $45.20 13.3% alcohol
My highest compliment—it was tough to spit. Elegant and subtle on the nose—toast and dark berry fruit—it provides a special experience beginning with a generously textured palate-coating wave of flavour—brambly berry, minty cherry, black currant and moderating acidity via tart cherry and red currant flavours. This is rich, complex and beautifully sculpted with perfect balance and a lengthy finish. It was basket pressed, wild yeast fermented, hand plunged, gravity drained, spending 14 months in French oak, 4 more in stainless then bottled unfined and unfiltered. Order by the case for daily office or home delivery from Hidden Bench. (Vic Harradine)
Pillitteri Estates Merlot 2007
VQA Niagara Peninsula $18.00 13.5% alcohol
This is a unique wine from Niagara’s great ‘07 vintage, aged by winemaker Dr. Marc Bradshaw in older barrels—some as old as 10 years—for the particular flavors they impart. A rich ruby red, the wine has aromas of ripe berries, sweet spices and a hint of mint leaf. It’s well structured and balanced with a complexity of flavors—rich fruit, light toast, leafiness and red pepper. A great food wine, it married well with braised chicken thighs with mushrooms prepared in a red wine sauce. Order by the case for daily office or home delivery from Pillitteri. (Susan Desjardins)
Pillitteri Estates Winery Viognier 2008
VQA Short Hills Bench $20.00 12.5% alcohol
Pillitteri’s first crack at Viognier as a single varietal and it’s a beauty. Honeysuckle, ripe pear and spice on the nose, it washes the palate with delicately textured flavours of honeyed pear, tangy citrus and nuances of melon. It’s light on its feet and dishes out a nicely balanced, crisp and refreshing aftertaste. A lovely aperitif, it pours well alongside pan-seared scallops under a squirt of freshly squeezed lemon. Order by the case for daily office or home delivery from Pillitteri. (Vic Harradine)