Vintages Release Date: December 9, 2017

• Sonia and David Smith, the former from Buenos Aires, Argentina, the latter a Brit, moved to Argentina and began living their dream; they started a winery, building a vineyard from scratch. Both Master Sommeliers holding Advance Certificates from WSET, their vineyard is near the fabled Bodegas Catena Zapata. They became friends with the Nicola Catena family and now Catena Zapata’s winemaker, Ale Vigil, also oversees the making of SonVida’s wine, including the following 2013 SonVida Malbec.

92 
SonVida Malbec 2013
Mendoza, Argentina $29.95 (458240) 14.0% alcohol
This is rich luscious and brimming with flavour. There are dark berry fruit, graphite and charred/tarry aromas galore on the nose. A dense, lively gusher of tang-laden flavour coats the palate carried on flavours of piquant spice, luscious black cherry, cassis, racy pie cherry and notions of minerality. It’s full bodied, full flavoured and full of charm while the lingering finish is fruit forward and nicely balanced. (Vic Harradine)

Vintages Release Date: TBD 2018

• Fruit for the following 2016 2027 Cellars ‘Edgerock’ Pinot Noir comes by its vineyard name, ‘Edgerock’, honestly; it’s nestled up to the hard ledge of a limestone-rich rock quarry on Niagara’s prestigious Twenty Mile Bench. 2027 owner/winemaker Kevin Panagapka is a stickler for sourcing über-premium fruit and allowing it to express its optimum qualities. The vines—Burgundian Clone 115 with their smaller berries and softer tannin—are on reclaimed-quarry land on a sunny, south-facing slope. Back up the van for this. (Vic Harradine)

93  
2027 Cellars ‘Edgerock’ Pinot Noir 2016
VQA Twenty Mile Bench $24.95 12.9% alcohol
Aromas of red cherry, flinty/minerality and wisps of toast and tobacco leaf give promise of something special, this delivers in spades. It brandishes persistent purity of fruit, good underlying structure, deft balance, well-integrated oak and lengthy, delectable finish. A racy line of piquant spice, beetroot, red cherry and savory herbs bathe the palate adorned with minerality and soft, ripe, grainy tannin. This is medium weight with good mouthfeel and lingering, lip-smacking finish. It’s ready to go after a two-hour decant and pours well with smoked, grilled duck breasts. (Vic Harradine)