Featherstone Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2010
VQA Twenty Mile Bench $16.95 (64618) 12.3% alcohol
Light toasty notes, red berry fruit and graphite aromas introduce this well-balanced, medium-textured beauty that’s just brimming with ripe, juicy fruit and oodles of charm. Sweet ripe mulberry and red cherry interweave with excellent moderating acidity, wisps of nicely handed oak and a supple tannin underpinning. It finishes with a replay of the well-balanced fruit and with good tang—a very pretty red that shows extremely well. Purchase by the case for daily home or office delivery from Featherstone. (Vic Harradine)
Featherstone Estate Winery Gamay 2010
VQA Twenty Mile Bench $16.95 13.5% alcohol
This is a limited-edition gem sourced from estate-grown, +10-year-old vines that’s bursting with tangy, juicy red berry flavour—cranberry and raspberry—interwoven with spice and savoury herbs. It’s medium bodied with good texture and a lingering lip-smacking aftertaste bolstered by cherry cordial and nuances of blueberry. Barely 100 cases came off the line—pick up one before it’s all gone. Purchase by the case for daily home or office delivery from Featherstone. (Vic Harradine)
Featherstone Estate Winery Pinot Noir 2010
VQA Twenty Mile Bench $29.95 12.5% alcohol
Toasty, gamy and underbrush aromas signal a tangy, juicy rendition of Pinot that settles on the palate with good weight and texture brimming with red cherry, cranberry and spiced black plum. Hand picked and hand sorted, this 777-single-clone, estate-grown gem finishes dry, lengthy and complex with deft balance and a soft tannin underpinning. Pour with duck liver pâté and toasts. Purchase by the case for daily home or office delivery from Featherstone. (Vic Harradine)
Featherstone Estate Winery ‘Joy – Premium Cuvée’ Brut 2008
VQA Twenty Mile Bench $34.95 12.5% alcohol
Orchard fruit, leesy notes and wisps of floral on the nose, this unleashes fine-bead mousse with lemon yoghurt and key lime pie interlaced with crisp Granny Smith apple It’s made methode traditionelle from estate-grown Chardonnay left 30 months on the lees and wisely sealed with modified crown cap. Good mouth feel and a crisp, bracing finish wrap up this elegantly labeled and packaged bubbly. Food friendly, it pairs especially well with freshly shucked briny oysters or seafood in cream sauce. Purchase by the case for daily home or office delivery from Featherstone. (Vic Harradine)
Fielding Estate ‘Rock Pile’ Pinot Gris 2011
VQA Lincoln Lakeshore $25.95 9.5% alcohol
The lifted, spirited nose is dominated by an array of honeysuckle, apple cobbler, toast and hazelnuts. Bountiful, balanced flavours wash over the palate in waves with lemon pie filling, lime cordial and succulent white nectarine to the fore. It sports good weight a silky smooth texture and a crisp, refreshing, off-dry aftertaste. A single-vineyard gem that sells out quickly, pair with mango pork stir-fry. Purchase by the case for daily home or office delivery from Fielding. (Vic Harradine)
Fielding Estate ‘Lot No. 17’ Riesling 2011
VQA Beamsville Bench $25.95 (223610) 10.0% alcohol
Exuberant aromas and complex flavours showcase vibrant acidity, eye-popping sweet and tang and a monumental, mouth-watering finish. Lemon-lime, nectarine and mineral/slate aromas provide segue for a racy wash of lime sherbet and pit fruit—peach, yellow plum and mango. It’s mid weight with generous mouth feel and a lengthy, yin and yang, lip-smacking aftertaste dazzling with bracing acidity wreathed in sweet, ripe fruit. Purchase by the case for daily home or office delivery from Fielding. (Vic Harradine)
Inniskillin ‘Winemaker’s Series – Barrel Aged’ Pinot Gris 2010
VQA Niagara Peninsula $19.95 (981415) 14.0% alcohol
Limited production and hi-octane, this pops from the glass with delectable aromas of pineapple, nectarine and poached pear. It’s tangy and racy on the palate with lemon-lime yoghurt and white peach galore. Mid weight and nicely textured, the mid-length aftertaste is crisp, dry and refreshing with just a toasty wisp of well-integrated French oak. Purchase by the case for daily home or office delivery from Inniskillin. (Vic Harradine)
Inniskillin Pinot Noir Rosé 2011
VQA Niagara Peninsula $14.95 12.5% alcohol
This is a classy package brimming with perfumed aromas plus complex, fruit-laden flavour on the palate and finish. A rich, salmon colour heralds perfumed aromas of red plum and strawberry yoghurt. Medium bodied with generous texture strawberry jam and ripe tangerine wash over the plate infusing the slightly off-dry, spicy aftertaste. Pours well with a deli platter, spanakapita or white pizza. Purchase by the case for daily home or office delivery from Inniskillin. (Vic Harradine)
Inniskillin ‘Winemaker’s Series - Two Vineyards’ Riesling 2010
VQA Niagara Peninsula $17.95 (981233) 11.5% alcohol
Lively aromas of mineral, flint and honeyed apple introduce this medium-bodied, nicely textured Niagara Riesling. Refreshing, balanced flavours of Granny Smith apple, lemon zest and key lime show on the palate and brisk, racy aftertaste. A delightful summer sipper that also shows well poured with baked ham or a deli platter of cold cuts and soft cheese. Purchase by the case for daily home or office delivery from Inniskillin. (Vic Harradine)