Lailey Vineyard consistently produces wine that over-delivers in value, taste and overall enjoyment. Winemaker, Derek Barnett, dropped by with ten wines for tasting. Always an uplifting experience, five are reviewed below following the five reviewed in the most recent Sept. 25 newsletter. You can order a mixed case, or cases, from all ten reviews for home or office delivery online from Lailey Vineyard.


Lailey Vineyard Riesling 2012
VQA Niagara River $18.20 10.5% alcohol
Balanced and beautiful, this is value laden and quite stylish. Lifted and layered aromas of orange blossom, minerality and floral notes presage a ripe, luscious wash of ripe nectarine, white peach and tangy lemon curd. Mid weight and nicely textured the lingering, crisp, lip-smacking finish is just off dry and absolutely delicious. Served well with spicy Asian cuisine or alongside crispy pork bellies. (Vic Harradine)


Lailey Vineyard ‘unoaked’ Chardonnay 2012
VQA Niagara Peninsula $15.20 13.0% alcohol
Here’s a crowd-pleaser with good value, excellent balance and oodles of charm. Yellow peach, Golden Delicious apple and mineral/slate aromas provide segue for a medium-bodied, beautifully textured river of palate-bathing flavours with white peach, nectarine and terrific lemon acidity to the fore. This is deftly balanced, clean, crisp and refreshing with a lengthy aftertaste that’s very more-ish. (Vic Harradine)


Lailey Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2012
VQA Niagara Peninsula $20.20 13.0% alcohol
Sharp and alluring aromas of nettles, gooseberry and ripe yellow plum abound. It was 60% barrel fermented with the other 40% fermented in stainless steel. There’s a good line of citrus acidity streaking across the palate nicely balanced with ripe apple and pear wreathed in grilled pineapple. The lingering aftertaste showcases grapefruit pith on the aftertaste. Good to go now with mesclun salad under crumbled chèvre. (Vic Harradine)


Lailey Vineyard Gewürztraminer 2012
VQA Niagara River $25.20 11.5% alcohol
Extended skin contact contributes to the dazzling golden hue. Rich, complex aromas bedazzle with rosewater, candied fruit, exotic spice and alluring floral notes. It’s light-medium bodied with excellent texture and structure. Flavours of peach, plum and spice flow over the palate infusing the dry, clean, refreshing finish. Pair with soft white cheese or baked ham. (Vic Harradine)


Lailey Vineyard ‘Brickyard’ Chardonnay 2012
VQA Niagara River $25.20 13.0% alcohol
Balanced, structured and complex, this is astonishingly delicious, melding purity of fruit, lively acidity and well-integrated oak into a drop-dead-delectable Chardonnay. Aromas of apple and pear interweave with wisps of baking spice and toasty oak on the nose preceding a mouthful of balanced, creamy-smooth wash of ripe pit fruit—peach and plum—garnished with lemon pie filling, nutty notes and crisp green apple. It finishes lengthy, clean, mouth-wateringly good. What’s not to like? (Vic Harradine)

Rosehall Run is one of the original County wineries with plantings now more than a decade old. They’ve been consistent with quality and value; they’ve excelled with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir right from the get go. However, they’re no two-trick pony, the quality-value proposition is in your favour right across the impressive portfolio of wines. Order the following by the case for daily office or home delivery direct from Rosehall Run.


Rosehall Run ‘JCR Rosehall Vineyard’ Chardonnay 2011
VQA Prince Edward County $29.95 13.0% alcohol
Brimming with exotic aromas, excellent structure and charm, this hi-toned cool-climate Chardonnay opens with an alluring nose of exotic spice, ripe apple and notions of peach, pear and toasty oak. It’s medium bodied with generous mouth feel and a wash of tangy, juicy apple, lemon pie filling and mineral tones bathing the palate, infusing the mouth-watering aftertaste. It’s excellent now, even better with additional bottle age. (Vic Harradine)


Rosehall Run ‘Cuvée County’ Cabernet Franc 2011
VQA Prince Edward County $24.95 13.0% alcohol
Roasted herbs, lilac and red cherry/berry fruit on the nose, this bathes the palate with a firm and focused line of tangy, red cherry and riper, black currant wreathed in espresso roast and toasty oak. It has good weight and texture and oodles of racy, lip-smacking charm. There’s all this and more on the dry finish as it layers on a perceptible brush of tannin. Ameliorate the tannin with a two-hour aeration/decant, then pour with Swiss steak. (Vic Harradine)


Rosehall Run ‘Cuvée County - The Swinger’ Syrah 2011
VQA Prince Edward County $34.95 12.0% alcohol
White pepper, piquant spice and notions of gamy notes swirl from the glass; it’s the only Syrah planted in the County. It broadens out on the palate with a tangy wash of red currant and pomegranate interwoven with sour cherry and wisps of strawberry. It’s mid weight with a lip-smacking aftertaste that replays palate flavours layering on herbaceous notes and fine-grained tannin. Pour with Italian braciole—stuffed beef rolls in tomato sauce. (Vic Harradine)