Lailey Vineyard ‘unfiltered’ Cabernet Franc 2010
VQA Niagara River $30.20 13.0% alcohol
Graphite, chicory and dark berry fruit provide segue to a rich, layered and complex river of black berry and juicy, succulent Bing cherry melding with spice and mocha on the palate. It’s medium-full bodied with good structure and balance showcasing a lingering aftertaste with good fruit, moderating acidity and a lick of tannin. Aerate/decant a couple of hours before pouring alongside grilled rack of lamb. Purchase this by the case for daily home or office delivery from Lailey. (Vic Harradine)
Lailey Vineyard ‘unfiltered’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
VQA Niagara River $30.20 13.0% alcohol
There’s a boatload of fruit, excellent moderating acidity and lashings of tannin in this full-bodied gem; it’ll handsomely reward more years in bottle—purchase three, open in 2015, 2017, 2019. Dark berry fruit, toasty notes and sweet vanilla aromas intro this gorgeously structured Cab. A tidal wave of palate-coating cassis, succulent, ripe briary berry and racy, tangy red cherry interweave with mixed spice persisting through the lengthy finish. Purchase this outstanding red by the case for daily home or office delivery from Lailey. (Vic Harradine)
Lailey Vineyard ‘unoaked’ Chardonnay 2011
VQA Ontario $15.20 12.0% alcohol
Fruit-laden aromas of ripe apple and pear introduce a fully textured mouthful of tangy green apple and racy lemon citrus interlaced with hints of pineapple. It’s medium full weight with a monumentally long, lip-smacking aftertaste of lemon pie filling and pit fruit. Great for deck or patio sipping, it also shines with pan-seared fish or seafood. Purchase this über gorgeous wine by the case for daily home or office delivery from Lailey. (Vic Harradine)
Lailey Vineyard ‘unfiltered - canadian oak’ Meritage 2010
VQA Niagara Peninsula $40.20 13.5% alcohol
Rose petals, berry fruit and savoury spice aromas open this juicy red blend—45% Merlot, 33% Cab Franc, 22% Cab Sauv. Racy red currant and mixed field berry interlace with mocha, toasty oak and kitchen spice on the palate. It’s mid-full weight with good mouth feel and a lingering aftertaste of red cherry and black raspberry framed by mouth-watering acidity while underpinned by chalky tannin. Pour in 2015 alongside a slab of grilled beefsteak. Purchase this by the case for daily home or office delivery from Lailey. (Vic Harradine)
Lailey Vineyard Pinot Noir 2010
VQA Niagara Peninsula $24.95 13.0% alcohol
This shows good balance and complexity and oodles of charm. Exotic spice, floral notes and red berry fruit on the nose, it bathes the palate in waves with red cherry and mixed, dark field berry mingling with nuances of beet root and spice. It’s mid weight with a creamy-smooth mouth feel and a dry, lingering aftertaste showcasing good balance of fruit and acidity. Purchase this by the case for daily home or office delivery from Lailey. (Vic Harradine)
Lailey Vineyard ‘unfiltered’ Syrah 2010
VQA Niagara River $27.20 13.0% alcohol
Fans of Syrah from the northern Rhône will delight in this stylish beauty with its savoury aromas and juicy, tangy flavour profile. Aromas of savoury herbs and spice mingle with gamy notes and lilac on the expressive nose. Complex, racy flavours—red currant and red cherry—interlace with black plum and dark coffee bean on the palate persisting through the dry finish. Pour alongside grilled back ribs brushed with spicy bar b que sauce. Purchase this by the case for daily home or office delivery from Lailey. (Vic Harradine)
Lailey Vineyard Syrah 2009
VQA Niagara River $27.20 13.0% alcohol
This dishes up a balanced, river of juicy red and black fruit interweaving with good tang bolstered by fine-grained tannin and oodles of charm. Black berry, red currant and cherry interlace with moderating acidity throughout the palate persisting through the lip-smacking, balanced aftertaste. Delicious on its own or poured alongside grilled rib eye. Purchase this by the case for daily home or office delivery from Lailey. (Vic Harradine)
Lailey Vineyard ‘Select Late Harvest’ Vidal 2011
VQA Niagara Peninsula $20.20 375 mL 11.0% alcohol
Alluring aromas bustle from the glass with caramelized pineapple, mushroom and apple cider predominant. Palate-coating flavours—mango, yellow peach and spiced apple—dazzle the senses lingering through the monumental, lip-smacking aftertaste. It’s mid-full weight with a silky smooth generous mouth feel and a boatload of charm. Pour on its own as dessert or pair with fruit flan; absolutely delectable. Purchase this by the case for daily home or office delivery from Lailey. (Vic Harradine)
Winemaker and co-owner of Rosehall Run Vineyards, Dan Sullivan, dropped by with six wines to taste, and what a six-pack it turned out to be. They were all 100% Prince Edward County fruit and all absolutely charming and brimming with structure, balance, great taste and value. Remember when almost every county wine was bolstered by fruit outside the county and labeled VQA Ontario? These six wines did more than put Prince Edward County on the map for me, it put them on par with all VQA appellations—they’ve truly arrived. You need to try these Rosehall Run wines to see for yourself. They’re reviewed below in the order presented and tasted.
Rosehall Run ‘Cuvée County’ Pinot Gris 2011
VQA Prince Edward County $21.95 12.5% alcohol
Soft aromas of honeysuckle, ripe pear and spice provide segue for a gorgeously textured mouthful of deftly balanced, mouth-watering flavour with racy, lemon-drop candy, Bosc pear and yellow plum to the fore. It’s mid weight, fully textured with a lingering, mouth-watering, refreshing finish. Pour alongside veal scallopini. Order by the case for daily office or home delivery direct from Rosehall Run. (Vic Harradine)
Rosehall Run ‘Unoaked’ Chardonnay 2010
VQA Prince Edward County $17.95 12.7% alcohol
This is a lovely example of well-made, delicious, unadorned Chardonnay. Not a splinter of oak and minimal malolactic conversion produced this lip-smacking Chard with alluring aromas of musky spice and baked apple. There’s a river of flavour—succulent white peach, apple and pear, and tangy lemon citrus—washing over the palate persisting through the crisp, clean, refreshing aftertaste. Order by the case for daily office or home delivery direct from Rosehall Run. (Vic Harradine)
Rosehall Run ‘Cuvée County’ Chardonnay 2009
VQA Prince Edward County $21.95 13.0% alcohol
Just now hitting its stride, this dazzles the olfactory with lifted aromas of apple-pie spice, toasty notes and lemongrass. Washing in balanced and mouth-watering waves, there’s an amalgam of flavours—ripe pear, yellow peach and green apple mingling with wisps of toasty oak and nutty notes. It finishes long and crisp with a lick of minerality and acidity. Order by the case for daily office or home delivery direct from Rosehall Run. (Vic Harradine)
Rosehall Run ‘Rosehall Vineyard’ Chardonnay 2009
VQA Prince Edward County $34.95 13.4% alcohol
Kudos to winemaker Dan Sullivan; this is a ripper, bolting from the glass with toasty oak, vanilla and citrus notes. Structured with good complexity, it dishes up a persistent stream of balanced and beautiful white peach, ripe pineapple and spice-infused apple flavour. The long, refreshing finish layers on nuances of slate and lemon pie filling. Drink now to 2017, think premium Meursault from Burgundy at a fraction the cost. Order this gem by the case for daily office or home delivery direct from Rosehall Run. (Vic Harradine)
Rosehall Run ‘Cuvée County’ Pinot Noir 2009
VQA Prince Edward County $21.95 12.5% alcohol
Spice, beetroot and raspberry on the nose, it washes over the palate with layered waves of sour cherry, ripe cranberry and lashings of ripe, sweet strawberry mingling with good moderating acidity. It’s medium bodied with good texture and a lengthy, lip-smacking aftertaste of cherry/berry interlaced with mineral/slate and mixed spice. Lovely on its own; divine with grilled rack of lamb, even better after 2012. Order by the case for daily office or home delivery direct from Rosehall Run. (Vic Harradine)
Rosehall Run ‘Rosehall Vineyard’ Pinot Noir 2009
VQA Prince Edward County $34.95 12.8% alcohol
Low-yielding, older vines, minimalist winemaking—unfined, unfiltered—and the coming of age for Prince Edward County wine coalesce in this gorgeous Pinot. Lifted aromas of kitchen spice, black raspberry and rhubarb herald a well-structured wash of flavour—red currant, red cherry and mineral-streaked black plum—showcasing complexity and oodles of charm. Finishing in a blaze of tang and juicy, ripe fruit underpinned by wisps of toasty oak and ripe, fine-grained tannin—drink now to 2017—it was tough to spit. Order by the case for daily office or home delivery direct from Rosehall Run. (Vic Harradine)