• Purchase the following two wines online from Château des Charmes for daily home, restaurant or office delivery or visit their Ottawa retail store in Minto Place at Laurier and Lyon or buy at their winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake -1025 York Rd, St. David’s Ontario L0S 1P0. Here’s a map.

• The following 2016 Château des Charmes ‘St David’s Bench Vineyard’ Cabernet Franc is produced only in outstanding vintages. Fruit for this wine was hand-harvested from estate vines +25 years old and matured for 12 months in 1-2 year old French oak barrels.

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Château des Charmes ‘St David’s Bench Vineyard’ Cabernet Franc 2016 
VQA St David’s Bench $34.95 (453415) 13.5% alcohol
A perfumed nose of floral notes, graphite and dark berry fruit provide segue to a balanced and beautiful, palate-enveloping flow of ripe black fruit—cherry and bramble berry—interlaced with soft spice, excellent tang, and a firm underpinning of ripe tannin. This is medium bodied with good texture and a lengthy, fruit filled, tannin-infused finish and aftertaste. Aerate/decant for three hours pouring with grilled-rare flank steak or grilled rack of lamb. This will also reward patience in cellaring over the next five or six years or so. (Vic Harradine)

• Order the following by the case for daily office, home or restaurant delivery direct from the winery either by using this link Closson Chase, by phone 1.888.201.2300 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or pick them up from the winery 629 Closson Road, Hillier, Ontario K0K 2J0 – it’s an easy 2 or so hour drive, or less, from the GTA or Ottawa and environs - Here’s a map.

• The following 2017 Closson Chase ‘South Clos’ Chardonnay was hand-picked from low-yielding estate vines then 100% barrel fermented in French oak, 20% new.

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Closson Chase ‘South Clos’ Chardonnay 2017
VQA Prince Edward County $39.95 13.3% alcohol
This is deftly balanced with sense of purpose and persistent purity of fruit throughout. Oaky notes, piquant spice and orchard fruit aromas provide segue to a surge of medium-full bodied, generously textured palate flavours—sweet ripe apple and pear adorned with baking spice and mouth-watering citrussy tang. It finishes with oodles of charm and palate replays on the lengthy, lip-smacking finish. It’s delicious to drink now and will improve with additional short-term bottle ageing. Kudos to winemaker, Keith Tyers. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2017 Closson Chase ‘Vineyard’ Chardonnay was hand harvested from two estate, low-yielding vineyards—75% South Clos and 25% Churchside—then 100% barrel fermented in French oak with under 10% new.

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Closson Chase ‘Vineyard’ Chardonnay 2017
VQA Prince Edward County $29.95 (148866) 13.3% alcohol
This crowd pleaser offers a price-quality balance tipped wildly in your favour. Aromas of apple, pear and baking spice abound on the nose of this fabulous PEC chardonnay. It treats the palate to a balanced and beautiful, fruit-filled river of flavour with ginger root-infused apple along with wisps of sweet vanilla and Meyer lemon. It’s medium-plus bodied with generous mouthfeel accompanied by a monumentally long, delectable finish. Pour on its own after removing from refrigeration for 20 minutes or with roast chicken, turkey, pork or smoked duck breasts. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2017 Closson Chase ‘Churchside’ Chardonnay was manually harvested and 100% barrel fermented with 20% new French oak. This limited-edition gem had less than 175 cases produced. One would do well to order from the winery before it’s all snapped up.

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Closson Chase ‘Churchside’ Chardonnay 2017
VQA Prince Edward County $44.95 13.3% alcohol
A mélange of sharp baking spice, oaky notes, ripe pear, peach and vanilla abound on this stunning, medium-full bodied, well-textured chardonnay. It envelops the palate with tang, persistent purity of fruit and a fabulous, lengthy aftertaste. A sleek stream of Meyer lemon, white grapefruit and steely/saline minerality blanket the palate balanced on a pin by yellow peach, ripe pear and wisps of kiwi fruit. The seemingly endless and luscious aftertaste encorporates palate replays plus a notion of lime cordial. It will improve over the next five years. (Vic Harradine)