90   
Featherstone Estate Winery ‘Four Feathers’ 2018
VQA Niagara Peninsula $14.95 (341586) 12.5% alcohol
This incredibly popular aromatic white blend—61% riesling/18% gewürztraminer/13% sauvignon blanc/8% chardonnay—has a large following, it delivers in spades, vintage after vintage. Aromas of rosewater, lime and peach set the table for a smorgasbord of perfectly balanced, delicious palate flavours with Key lime, crisp green apple and lemon pie filling to the fore. It’s medium bodied, creamy smooth and lingers on the finish – balanced and mouth-watering good. Pick up a few to sip on its own or pour alongside pan-seared fish like salmon or trout, or thin-crust, lightly dressed three-cheese—brie, mozzarella, chèvre—white pizza. (Vic Harradine)

92  
Henry of Pelham ‘Old Vines’ Baco Noir 2018
VQA Ontario $19.95 (459966) 13.0% alcohol
Aromas of rich dark berry fruit, mixed spice and black juicy Bing cherry provide segue to a value-laden, luscious, rich surge of beautifully textured ambrosia with palate flavours of sweet vanilla and baking spice giving way to cassis, black raspberry jam and notions of dark chocolate. This is medium-full bodied with good texture, balance and oodles of tang on the lip-smacking good finish. Pour with grilled and smoked back ribs slathered in spicy barbecue sauce. (Vic Harradine)

• The trademark for the following Meiomi Pinot Noir is—regardless of vintage—‘it doesn’t taste much like Pinot Noir’; and this turns some people away. If you expect a pinot noir to taste like pinot noir, the Meiomi may not be for you. However, if you like rich, jammy red wines and don’t care much if it’s zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir, you may want to give the following serious consideration.

88 
Meiomi Pinot Noir 2017
Monterey/Santa Barbara/Sonoma, California $21.95 (130138) 13.7% alcohol
Ripe, black and red fruit and espresso roast aromas swirl from this medium-plus bodied, full-Monty, well-textured red. It envelops the palate with a river of sweet jammy flavours—black currant, ripe mulberry and Bing cherry—intertwined with kirsch liqueur, sweet vanilla and toasty/oaky bits. Palate flavours persist through the mocha-laden finish and aftertaste with a slight bit of tang. Pour with grilled pork back ribs brushed with spicy barbecue sauce. (Vic Harradine)

• The following five wines are Vintages Essentials products always available in select LCBO stores.

88 
Kendall-Jackson ‘Vintner's Reserve’ Chardonnay 2017
California $19.95 (369686) 13.5% alcohol
Aromas of butter cream and toasted oak meld with hints of tropical fruit. It is medium-to-full bodied on the palate, with a refreshing acidity. Flavours of oak and pineapple are carried through the finish, where they are joined with a hint of grapefruit. This will be a nice match for baked cod. (Dave Isaacs)

88 
La Crema Chardonnay 2017
Sonoma Coast $29.95 (962886) 13.5% alcohol
This is an elegant chardonnay with subtle oak aromas on the nose combined with notes of apple and minerality. It’s medium-full bodied with zesty acidity delivering green apple and citrus flavours on the palate. The finish is tangy and underlined with clean minerality. This will evolve nicely in the cellar for a few years, and can be enjoyed with shrimp parmesan pasta. (Dave Isaacs)

91 
First Press Chardonnay 2015
Napa Valley $24.95 (199810) 14.5% alcohol
Aromas of peach and green apple along with lactic and light wood notes open the door to a medium-bodied wash of ripe pear, peach and pineapple palate flavours veiled with butterscotch and vanilla notes nicely balanced with a tangy citrus presence. A five-month maturation in French and American oak plus malolactic conversion brings softness and elegance to this medium-full bodied white through to the lengthy delicious finish. Pour with baked cod loin. (Louise Boutin)

• The following Beringer ‘Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is $5.00 off the price shown below of each bottle purchased now to May 26, 2019.

91 
Beringer ‘Knights Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 
Knights Valley, California $44.95 (352583) 14.8% alcohol
This blend of predominantly cabernet sauvignon with a splash of cabernet franc, merlot and petit verdot, matured 16 months in French oak, 30% new. Dark cherry, plum compote, chipotle, baking spice and violet aromas showcase the complex nose. Silky soft on palate entry with flavours of ripe black cherry, clove and vanilla, it shows a firmer profile mid palate with tight tannin and flavours of cocoa powder, freshly cracked black peppercorn and a wisp of red plum acidity through the finish and aftertaste. This is full-bodied with cellaring potential; enjoy now to 2024 with juicy rare prime rib after a two-hour aeration/decant. (Louise Boutin)

90 
First Press Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Napa Valley $29.95 (188110) 14.5% alcohol
Expect dark cherry, strawberry, black peppercorn and baking spice on the nose of this excellent Napa red, aged sixteen months in a combination of French and American oak. A velvety textured wash of concentrated flavours—ripe black cherry, raspberry, blackberry and red pepper—treats the palate while lively acidity and fine-grained tannin provide structure and enhance the lengthy fruit forward, spicy finish. Aerate/decant one hour and enjoy with braised beef short-ribs. (Louise Boutin)