Henry of Pelham ‘Speck Family Reserve’ Chardonnay 2007
VQA Niagara Peninsula $35.00 (616446) 13.5% alcohol
With grapes sourced from older Chardonnay vines hand-planted in 1998, the juice was then fermented in French oak barrels. Opening with a sharp nose of flint, gun smoke and tree fruit, this bathes the palate with ripe juicy apple, apricot, spiced yellow peach and delicate brushstrokes of buttered toast. Medium-full bodied and quite nicely textured, it sports a crisp, refreshing finish. Drinking especially well 2012 to 2017. For daily home or office delivery order from Henry of Pelham—also available in select LCBO stores. (Vic Harradine)


Henry of Pelham ‘Speck Family Reserve’ Pinot Noir 2007
VQA Short Hills Bench $40.00 (657874) 13.5% alcohol
Savoury spice, black currant and mineral aromas waft easily from this mid-weight fruity gem. There’s a persistent and well-balanced stream of flavour that washes over the palate with succulent red cherry and spiced black plum mingling with a moderating spine of acidity underpinned by firm tannin structure. It delivers good texture and a lengthy, dry tangy finish. Enjoyable now, it’ll improve with careful short-term cellaring. For daily home or office delivery order from Henry of Pelham—also available in select LCBO stores. (Vic Harradine)


Henry of Pelham ‘Speck Family Reserve’ Cabernet - Merlot 2007
VQA Short Hills Bench $50.00 (616433) 14.0% alcohol
Toasty oak and black bramble berry fruit on the nose, this medium-full bodied blend with its fully textured mouth feel delivers a lovely wash of spicy palate-coating flavour with racy pie cherry, boysenberry and nuances of sweet cassis to the fore. There’s plenty of ripe, fine-grained tannin and moderating acidity to provide balance and the promise of superb drinking 2013 to 2020—decant 3 hours if you become impatient. For daily home or office delivery order from Henry of Pelham—also available in select LCBO stores. (Vic Harradine)


Fielding Estate Winery ‘Jack Rabbit Flats Vineyard’ Pinot Noir 2008
VQA Lincoln Lakeshore $25.15 12.5% alcohol
This punches well above the price and it’s delicious. Two Pinot Noir clones—115 and 777—were vinified separately and blended after 14 months in premium French oak and scrupulous barrel selection. The spice-driven nose offers smoke and dark berry notes as segue to a wave of well-balanced flavour with good complexity—red currant, strawberry and ripe red cherry with nuances of earthiness and mocha. There’s red-fruit tang on the lingering mouth-watering finish. Hats off to winemaker Richie Roberts. Order for daily home or office delivery from Fielding. (Vic Harradine)


Fielding Estate Winery Syrah 2007
VQA Niagara Peninsula $45.15 13.0% alcohol
With premium fruit from a near-perfect vintage sourced from 2 separate vineyards, this bursts from the glass with involved aromas of dark briary berry, forest floor, black pepper and mixed herb/spice notes. Profound flavours of spiced black plum and succulent mulberry coat the palate. It’s medium-full bodied, generously textured with good complexity and a lingering fruity, toasty finish wrapped in firm tannin. Rich, concentrated and full of promise, it’s lovely now and will reward careful cellaring—drink 2012 to 2016. Order for daily home or office delivery from Fielding . (Vic Harradine)


Fielding Estate Winery ‘White Conception’ 2008
VQA Niagara Peninsula $19.15 12.5% alcohol
An aromatic blend of 5 grapes including Pinot Gris, Chardonnay Musqué and Gewürztraminer, this delivers a perfumed nose of exotic spice, incense, and floral notes. It’s fresh, lively and fruit driven on the palate with a persistent stream of racy flavour including key lime, white grapefruit and spice-infused yellow plum. It’s light-medium weight and nicely balanced finishing lengthy crisp and refreshing. A perfect aperitif, it sets the gustatory juices flowing. Order for daily home or office delivery from Fielding. (Vic Harradine)


Pillitteri Estates Winery Merlot Bianco 2008
VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $12.00 12.0% alcohol
Fashioned in a traditional Saignee style from the skins of Merlot, it provides one of those rare ‘matches made in heaven’ with seafood, chèvre or deli foods. Fresh and lively, this bursts on the palate with a shower of generous and persistent spine of acidity and focused flavour—freshly picked strawberry, unsweetened cran-apple juice and racy red currant. The riveting tang lingers throughout the mouth-wateringly dry finish. Order online from Pillitteri. (Vic Harradine)


Pillitteri Estates Winery Pinot Grigio 2009
VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $13.00 12.5% alcohol
Pink-tinged, zesty, crisp and refreshing, this is everything traditional Pinot Grigio should be. Mineral, floral notes and crisp green apple on the nose, this dishes out a focused spray of crisp citrus acidity, mixed tree fruit and nuances of lemon tart. It’s light on its feet with good mouth feel and a racy lip-smacking finish. A great al fresco sipping wine, it pairs well with prawn or scallop ceviche or freshwater bass or pickerel pan-seared and showered with freshly squeezed lemon. Order online from Pillitteri. (Vic Harradine)