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August 3, 2021 Newsletter

Newsletter Highlights:

95 points and over – there is one wine in this newsletter that rang the 95 points and over bell - 2018 Durigutti Family Winemakers ‘Proyecto Las Compuertas–Cinco Suelos-1914’ Malbec earned 95 points @ $29.95 found under Argentina: Red Wine
Over 55 – There are over 55 wine reviews in this newsletter.
Exceptional-value wine – There are 25 exceptional-value wines found throughout the newsletter and easily spotted by the icon checkmark in the August 7, 2021 Vintages Release and in the many categories following the release. Happy hunting!
Limited Time Offers –There are 16 wines that are reviewed in this newsletter and are also being discounted at the LCBO for up to a $5.00 rebate for each bottle purchased from July 19 to August 15, 2021. They are waiting to be discovered at the end of the newsletter.
Vic Picks – 2020 Featherstone Estate Winery ‘Four Feathers’ earned 91 points @ $14.95 found under Ontario: White Wine; 2020 Malivoire ‘Vivant’ Rosé earned 92 points @ $19.95 found under Ontario: Red Wine; 2018 3 – Rings ‘It’s Magic’ Shiraz earned 91 points @ $17.95

Vintages Release – August 7, 2021

Sparkling Wine

93
 Ca’del Bosco ‘Cuvée Prestige’ Franciacorta Brut Non-Vintage
 DOCG Franciacorta, Italy $44.95 (105353) 12.5% alcohol
 Hand-harvested 75% chardonnay, 10% pinot blanc, 15% pinot noir fruit was vinified ‘Metodo Classico’ with soft handling of grapes and blending with high-quality reserve wines before a secondary fermentation in the bottle you buy. This spent an average of 25 months on its lees gaining depth and complexity. It offers lifted aromas of lemon zest, white peach and biscuit concentrating into mouth-filling flavours of pink grapefruit, red apple and toasted brioche on the palate. It’s well balanced with fine, persistent effervescence and crisp, long finish. (Lisa Isabelle)

• The following Non-Vintage Cygnus Reserva’ Brut Nature Cava is, like all Cava, produced Méthode Traditionnelle—aka in the method of making Champagne with the 2nd fermentation in the bottle you purchase—as it is decreed in their wine laws that all Cava must be produced in this manner. This is a prime example of a value-laden sparkling wine.

90
Cygnus ‘Organic - Reserva’ Brut Nature Cava Non-Vintage
 DO Cava, Spain $18.95 (352856) 11.5% alcohol
This Méthode Traditionnelle, sparkling, organic gem was produced from the holy trinity of Cava grapes—xarel-lo 40%, parellada 30% and macabeo 30%. Lifted aromas of apple and pear interweave with mint and wisps of piquant ginger heralding flavours of apple, mineral/slate and strawberry wreathed in lemon curd and toasty notes. This has good mousse and a delightfully refreshing, lip-smacking aftertaste—certainly a cut above the norm. Pour with steamed mussels or pan-seared fish. (Vic Harradine)

Ontario: White Wine

• The following 2020 Featherstone Estate Winery ‘Four Feathers’ is an alluring blend of 62% riesling/20% sauvignon blanc/15% gewürztraminer/ 3% chardonnay. It was hand and machine harvested then juice yield was pressed and transferred into 100% stainless steel fermentation tanks. After eight hours of juice fining and settling it was then racked off gross lees. This was fermented with commercial yeast strain X5 with fermentation temperature set for 15 °C that took place through October 2020 before being bottled on February 10, 2021. This wine showcases the dazzling 2020 vintage in Ontario.

91
 Featherstone Estate Winery ‘Four Feathers’ 2020
 VQA Niagara Peninsula $14.95 (341586) 12.5% alcohol
 This is a perennial favourite for white-wine lovers. Aromas of apple, pear and apricot mingle with orange blossoms. It surges over the palate with a bracing line of excellent acidity intertwined with mixed spicy flavours of yellow peach, rosewater and hints of herbs. This is medium-weight with good texture and replays of the palate flavours on the finish and aftertaste. Pour on its own or with lighter-styled appetizers of fish, seafood, chicken or pork. (Vic Harradine)

• The following Malivoire ‘Estate Grown’ Chardonnay was hand harvested and hand sorted from three vineyards—70% Moira/20% Estate/10% Mottiar—with vines averaging 22 years old. 15% was destemmed with the 85% balance left in whole clusters. 55% of the juice was fermented in neutral French oak barrels also undergoing partial malo lactic conversion while 45% was transferred to stainless steel. After nine months they were combined and bottled in August 2020. All Malivoire wines are certified as sustainably farmed and fashioned.
• The following Malivoire wine is also a Vintages Essential product always available in a number of select LCBO stores.

92
 Malivoire Wine Company ‘Estate Grown’ Chardonnay
 VQA Beamsville Bench $19.95 (573147) 12.5% alcohol
 Alluring aromas of baked apple, cinnamon and notions of caramel abound. It gently washes over the palate with a touch of sweetness accompanied by tangy flavours of lemon-lime and flinty minerality. This is medium-bodied with good balance and textured mouthfeel. It finishes lengthy, crisp and refreshing with hints of grapefruit pith on the aftertaste. Pour alongside skillet-seared Atlantic salmon. (Vic Harradine)

90
 Redstone Winery ‘Limestone Vineyard-South’ Riesling 2018
 VQA Twenty Mile Bench $18.95 (381251) 11.0% alcohol
 This off-dry hand-harvested riesling has pungent petroleum notes that dissipate with a vigorous swirl, unveiling yellow apple, ginger, candied lemon peel aromas and lots of wet-stone minerality. It’s bright and fresh on the palate with a pear and melon profile coupled with pink grapefruit acidity, vibrant green apple and ginger flavours making its 31g/L of residual sugar almost go incognito. This is medium-light bodied and will shine next to a selection of gourmet sushi. (Louise Boutin)
Ontario: Red Wine

• The following Malivoire wine is also a Vintages Essential product always available in a number of select LCBO stores.

89
Malivoire Gamay
VQA Niagara Peninsula $19.95 (591313) 12.0% alcohol
Although lightly-hued to the eye, aromas leap from the glass of this well-priced gamay with the slightest swirl—red cherry/berry notes, peppery/savoury bits and piquant spice abound. It’s light on its feet with fruit flavours of pie cherry and crunchy red berry fruit—currant and cranberry—framed by tangy acidity and joined by a dry, crisp and clean finish and aftertaste. Pour with a three-cheese white pizza or arugula salad dressed with verjus and topped with crumbled chèvre. (Vic Harradine)

Ontario: Rosé Wine

• The following iconic Malivoire ‘Ladybug’ Rosé is the 22nd vintage produced by Malivoire with the first in 1998. It’s now a Vintages Essentials wine always available in select stores. This vintage it’s a 65% cabernet franc/27% gamay/8% pinot noir blend with all grapes being grown to make this specific wine. When measured, the sugar content in all varieties when unfermented averaged 20.4 Brix. Fruit was destemmed, crushed and placed in stainless steel tank then cold-soaked for 24 hours before pressing. Cold fermented and stabilized in stainless steel tank, it was bottled in March.

• The following Malivoire wine is also a Vintages Essential product always available in a number of select LCBO stores.

90
Malivoire ‘Ladybug’ Rosé
VQA Niagara Peninsula $16.95 (559088) 12.0% alcohol
Myriad red fruit aromas—strawberry, watermelon and ruby red grapefruit among them—precede a light-medium bodied, racy wash of palate flavours with passion fruit and red currant to the fore. It finishes with a blaze of lip-smacking tang reminiscent of the red grapefruit aromas on the nose. It’s clean, crisp and refreshing from twist top to last drop. It pairs well with skinless Atlantic salmon pan-seared in butter or ham and cheese crust-less quiche. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2020 Malivoire ‘Vivant’ Rosé was sourced from the VQA estate-grown fruit on the Beamsville Bench and is a blend of hand-harvested 70% pinot noir/30% pinot gris—an inspired pairing as pinot gris is a mutation of pinot noir. The grapes were pressed directly after harvested then the juice was chilled in a horizontal ‘dairy tank’ before a cool fermentation in stainless steel. This also reflects a dazzling 2020 VQA Ontario vintage.

92
 Malivoire ‘Vivant’ Rosé 2020
 Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment $19.95 (498535) 12.5% alcohol
 Fresh, lively aromas of sliced strawberries, watermelon and mandarin orange spill from the glass. It envelops the palate with mouth-watering, tang-infused flavours of blood orange, pink grapefruit and passionfruit riding a laser-like spine of tingling acidity. It’s medium weight with good mouthfeel and finishes dry with palate replays—crisp, clean and refreshing. Pour with briny, freshly shucked Malpec oysters dotted with hot sauce, a pinch of horse radish and a squeeze of fresh lemon. (Vic Harradine)

California: Red Wine

• The following wine is named 96 Points, though no wine critic that I know of has rated it this highly. The marketing people at the winery believe this to be both a good marketing ploy and use it as a tongue in cheek approach that you can read on the back label. This 100% cabernet sauvignon was sourced from the warm Lodi AVA in California. All fruit was gently destemmed and crushed then inoculated with selected yeast before being pumped-over twice daily with temperature peaking at 32.2 °C. Fruit was macerated for 12 to 18 days and barrel-aged for 12 months.

90
 96 Points Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
 Lodi, California $23.95 (19316) 14.4% alcohol
 Aromas of floral, mixed field berry and spice can be coaxed from the glass after a few vigorous swirls. It blankets the palate with medium-plus bodied, well-textured stream of ripe black cherry, sweet vanilla and hints of black licorice. It’s sweet-tinged throughout with a mid-length finish and aftertaste. This would be a fine candidate for pulled pork or grilled back ribs slathered in spicy barbecue sauce. (Vic Harradine)

Argentina: White Wine

• Nicolas Catena Zapata selected Tupungato as an ideal place to plant chardonnay vines some twenty years ago. The following 2019 Catena ‘Appellation Tupungato – High Mountain Vines’ Chardonnay was sourced from 100% chardonnay from vineyards at 1450 meters a.s.l. planted in soils of alluvial origin with clay, gravel and limestone topsoil and rounded rocks in the sandy loam sub-soil. The wine was cold settled for 12 hours at 5 °C then fermented for 25 days with post-fermentation maceration for six hours followed by nine months on its lees in 100% French oak. Catena is Argentina’s most awarded winery.

92
 Catena ‘Appellation Tupungato – High Mountain Vines’ Chardonnay 2019
 Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina $19.95 (10964) 13.5% alcohol
 Pleasing aromas of buttery notes, wood spice and notions of vanilla precede a delicious mouthful of pure ambrosia with oodles of flavour—baked apple, Meyer lemon and yellow peach—along with deft balance, persistent purity of fruit, good mouthfeel with a clean crisp finish and aftertaste that replay most of the palate flavours. Pour with roast chicken, pulled pork or white pizza with an inspired three-cheese topping—Brie, Boursin and Blue Stilton. (Vic Harradine)

Argentina: Red Wine

• The following 2018 Durigutti ‘Proyecto Las Compuertas – Cinco Suelos – 1914’ was sourced from hand-harvested 100% malbec from five organically managed vineyards chosen by soil types: 1) deep clay; 2) limestone; 3) stony; 4) sandy; 5) river stones planted in 1914 between 910 and 1520 meters a.s.l.. Alcoholic fermentation was carried out by indigenous yeasts in concrete eggs without epoxy lining for 22 days at controlled temperatures between 22 to 25 °C followed by natural malo-lactic fermentation with native bacteria in 3rd- and 4th-use barrels over 35 days. It then aged for three months in 500L 3rd- and 4th- use oak barrels then more than 11 months in concrete eggs without epoxy lining before bottling. Here’s a short and concise video about wines from Durigutti.

95
 Durigutti Family Winemakers ‘Proyecto Las Compuertas–Cinco Suelos-1914’ Malbec 2018
 Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina $29.95 (12670) 13.3% alcohol
 Rich and luscious on the nose with aromas of black Bing cherry, dark plum, blueberry and hints of crème de cassis on this limited-production beauty. It blankets the palate with a surge of flavours—mulberry, black juicy cherry and brambleberry—underpinned by perceptible and acceptable soft tannin underpinning that’s easily ameliorated with a two-hour aeration decant. This is well balanced with good purity of fruit, texture and mouthfeel. The finish lingers mouth-watering and lip-smacking good. Very good now, even better after careful cellaring to 2023 and beyond. (Vic Harradine)

88
 Susana Balbo ‘Críos’ Malbec 2018
 Mendoza $15.95 (162529) 14.0% alcohol
 With its opaque plum appearance, it appears ink-like in the glass. There are hints of earth, dry moss and vanilla aromas on the nose. It’s medium bodied with a very pleasant balance of acidity interwoven with flavours of coffee, plum and strawberry. The tannins appear in the background on the palate then grow to dominate the finish, suggesting that this wine will benefit from a three-hour aeration/decant or a year or two in the cellar. It’s a good match for grilled beef burgers. (Dave Isaacs)

• The following 2019 Viña Cobos ‘Felino’ Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from 100% hand-harvested cabernet sauvignon from premium vineyards at 700 meters a.s.l. to 1200 meters a.s.l. in the highly rated appellations of Valle de Uco and Luján de Cuyo. The fruit was fermented by indigenous and selected yeasts in eight- and seventeen-ton closed top stainless steel tanks then matured in American oak barrels, 10% new, for eight months. It was bottled un-fined in February, 2020. This vintage saw scant rainfall along with great thermal amplitude turning the grapes into excellent quality all through the manual harvesting. Here is a youtube video with a tasting of Viña Cobos ‘Felino’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2016.

91
 Viña Cobos ‘Felino’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
 Valle de Uco and Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina $19.95 (132365) 14.3% alcohol
 There are perfumed aromas of violets, minty notes and luscious dark cherry/berry fruit enhanced with notions of white pepper spice, tobacco leaf and grilled savoury herbs. It’s creamy smooth and surprisingly mellow on the palate with flavours of black plum, black cherry and hints of pie cherry supplying the balancing tang and acidity. Well-integrated soft tannin is barely noticeable, if not at all, after a two-hour aeration/decant. Pour with a premium cut of beef grilled medium-rare. (Vic Harradine)

Australia: Red Wine

• This was harvested from 100% shiraz vines with a low-medium yield of 4 tonnes per acre in a vintage that was a textbook season with fruit allowed a long hang time allowing grapes to ripen organoleptically as well as optimum sugar levels. It was then fermented in the traditional method in open-top fermenters with maximum skin contact.

91
 3 – Rings ‘It’s Magic’ Shiraz 2018
 Barossa Valley, South Australia $17.95 (15495) 14.9% alcohol
 Purple-black and opaque in the glass, it offers up aromas of black bramble berry and black plum intertwined with mixed spice. It’s medium-plus bodied with creamy-smooth mouthfeel as flavours surge over the palate with dark cherry/berry fruit adorned with dark bittersweet chocolate and coupled with excellent tang and acidity. There’s deft balance, persistent purity of fruit and more palate replays on the delectable finish and aftertaste. 3 - Rings winery suggests braised Kangaroo tail as a food match, but if you’ve run out, give grilled rack of lamb a go. (Vic Harradine)

France: Red Wine

• The following 2018 Domaine Berger-Rive ‘Manoir de Mercey - Au Paradis’ was sourced from +50-year-old vines of 100% pinot noir at 300 m elevation near the southernmost village of the Côtes de Beaune. The fruit in this wine was macerated for eight days at 28 to 30 °C with a peak of 34 °C. After approximately three weeks fermentation the wine was aged for 12 months in oak barrels where it underwent a malolactic fermentation.

89
 Domaine Berger-Rive ‘Manoir de Mercey - Au Paradis’ 2018
 AOC Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune, France $25.95 (20913) 13% alcohol
 Aromas of piquant spice and savoury herbs leap from the glass intertwined with red cherry/berry fruit and notions of passionfruit and wood smoke. It races over the palate with tang-infused acidity and drying tannins riding a wave of passionfruit and pie cherry that persist through the finish and aftertaste. Careful cellaring for two or more years should be handsomely rewarded. (Vic Harradine)

Upstream in winecurrent

Vintages Release: October 16, 2021

• The following 2018 Tawse Winery ‘Quarry Road Vineyard – Estate Bottled’ Pinot Noir was sourced 100% from the hand-harvested fruit from the Estate Quarry Road Vineyard of tightly knit vines planted in 2007. This wine was matured for 12 months in French oak.

89
Tawse Winery ‘Quarry Road Vineyard – Estate Bottled’ Pinot Noir 2018
VQA Vinemount Ridge $37.15 (307686) 13.0% alcohol
Lively aromas leap from the glass—piquant spice of cinnamon and ginger mingling with earthy and mineral notes galore. There’s a laser-like streak of red fruit on the palate—cranberry, passionfruit and pomegranate—riding a stream of tang and acidity that’s ameliorated on the back palate by riper red cherry and raspberry. There’s a lick of tannin throughout the dry finish and aftertaste. Aerate/decant for three hours before serving with coq au vin or cassoulet. Careful cellaring for two or three years should also be rewarded. (Vic Harradine)

Vintages Release: October 30, 2021

• The following 2019 Tawse Winery ‘Growers Blend’ Cabernet Franc was sourced from 100% selected plots of purchased fruit from around the Niagara Peninsula that was hand-picked then matured in 228L French oak barrels for 16 months, with 35% new oak.

88
Tawse Winery ‘Growers Blend’ Cabernet Franc 2019
VQA Niagara Peninsula $29.15 (284570) 12.5% alcohol
Fruit-forward aromas of dark cherry/berry and black plum abound on the nose. It leads on the palate with a burst of acidity expressing itself as tang–infused red currant and passionfruit interlaced with notions of Montmorency cherry and saline minerality. It opens up on the mid-palate with riper dark cherry fruit and black currant while the acidity lessens a tad. Pour with red pizza with mushroom, bacon and pepperoni or spaghetti with Bolognese sauce. (Vic Harradine)

New in Vintages (now widely available in LCBO retail stores)

• The following 2016 Château Peyros – Vieilles Vignes’ Madiran was sourced from a blend of 60% tannat and 40% cabernet franc grapes. Tannat’s origin lies somewhere in South-West France, near, or in, the Madiran wine region.

90
Château Peyros – Vieilles Vignes’ Madiran 2016
AOC Madiran, France $23.95 (234997) 14.0% alcohol
This old-vine red blend—60% tannat/40% cabernet franc—sports aromas of black cherry/berry adorned with charred wood and earthy notes. It pours dark crimson in the glass with a stream of palate-enveloping flavours of piquant peppery spice, black bramble berry and oodles of tang-infused pizzazz. There are hints of still-evolving tannin, easily ameliorated with three hour aeration/decant. Pour with grilled gourmet sausage, premium cut of beef grilled medium-rare or a 1½ inch thick steak on your grill or big green egg. (Vic Harradine)

New in the LCBO (now widely available in LCBO retail stores)

• The following 2020 Fantini Trebbiano d’Abruzzo is sourced from 85% trebbiano and 15% malvasia fruit from vines 10 to 20 years old that are planted 230 to 430 meters a.s.l. in soils mainly of calcareous clay terrain. After 20 days of pressing, clarification and controlled temperature fermentation of the clean must, this was aged in stainless steel tanks and in bottle.

90
Fantini Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2020
DOC Trebbiano d’Abruzzo $16.60 (20082) 1500 mL 12.5% alcohol
Floral notes, tropical fruit and citrussy aromas abound. The palate’s treated to a medium-bodied stream of delicious, well-balanced flavours with ripe peach and Bosc pear intertwined with lemon curd and lime cordial with all persisting through the crisp, refreshing finish and aftertaste. The price-quality balance tips wildly in your favour, pick up a few. Pour on its own or pair with all manner of seafood or roast chicken. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2018 Vicente Faria ‘Lisbon by Night’ Vinho Tinto is a red blend of syrah/alicante bouschet/touriga national that tips its hat to the famous city of Lisbon, Portugal. This city comes alive when the sun goes down and when locals and visitors make reservations in small, lively, family-run restaurants—there are many, many from which to choose—and settle in for a special evening of wonderful wine, food and Fado.

89
Vicente Faria ‘Lisbon by Night’ Vinho Tinto 2018
Regional Lisboa, Portugal $9.80 (18998) 13.0% alcohol
Aromas of dark cherry/berry and black plum decorated with grilled savoury herbs and earthy bits dominate the nose. It surges over the palate with a medium-plus bodied, nicely textured mouthful of sweet kirsch liqueur, black currant and notions of crème de cassis. It’s well balanced with a boat load of fruit and plenty of tangy pizzazz. It’s straightforward, uncomplicated and tips the price-quality balance well in your favour. Back up the car and load up the trunk. (Vic Harradine)

New in Ontario Wineries

• The following wines from Tawse Winery and Redstone Winery can be purchased by the bottle(s)/tin(s)/case(s) for home, office or restaurant delivery online at Tawse Winery, by Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by phone +1 905 562 9500 or for pick up by bottle(s)/tin(s)/case(s) directly at the winery 3955 Cherry Ave, Vineland ON. Here’s a map.

• The following 2020 Tawse Rosé is packaged in tin can for easy packing to go on a picnic or to the cottage or for around the pool. It’s a blend of red grapes—cabernet sauvignon/cabernet franc/pinot noir/merlot—from various premium selected plots in the Niagara Peninsula as all the fruit was purchased and made in the saignée method from four to 24 hours depending on the batch. This wine is a great example of the VQA Ontario 2020 vintage and has a nicely balanced 5.9 g/L residual sugar.

90
Tawse Winery Rosé 2020
VQA Niagara Peninsula $6.05 250 mL 13.0% alcohol
Mixed red cherry/berry aromas intertwine with floral notes on the nose. It bathes the palate with a nicely balanced stream of delightful, delectable flavours—red raspberry, strawberry and tangy pie cherry—stretching through to the finish and aftertaste. This is rich in flavour and balanced on a pin with a lengthy lip-smacking finish and mouth-watering aftertaste. The price-quality balance tips well in your favour, pick up six, a dozen or more. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2020 Tawse ‘Piquette – naturally flavoured wine beverage’ was sourced from a re-fermentation of grape pomace from 64% cabernet franc and 34% cabernet sauvignon that is infused with Tawse gin botanicals. This also has a light spritz.

91
Tawse ‘Piquette – naturally flavoured wine beverage’ 2020
Product of Canada $6.05 250 mL 6.5% alcohol
Aromas of juniper berry and wisps of sushi ginger and coriander waft easily from the glass. A dazzling array of piquant peppery spice and savoury herbs infuse this wine from flip top to last drop with hints of cherry cordial and strawberry. It’s nicely balanced with good weight and texture brings you back for more of this unique beverage. Sip on its own to really appreciate it. (Vic Harradine)

• The following vintage-dated 2019 Redstone Winery ‘Limestone Ridge Vineyard’ Sparkling Rosé was sourced from 100% manually-harvested, pinot noir from the Estate Limestone Ridge Vineyard. It was fermented and fashioned in Méthode Traditionelle with 12 months on its lees and 6.9 g/L residual sugar.

93
Redstone Winery ‘Limestone Ridge Vineyard’ Sparkling Rosé 2019
VQA Twenty Mile Bench $31.15 12.0% alcohol
This pinot noir sparkler opens with alluring aromas of floral notes, strawberry and wisps of citrus. It tingles on the palate with myriad bubbles bursting with flavour—red currant, mandarin orange and red raspberry to the fore—and plenty of tang and pizzazz. This is medium weight with good balance and creamy-smooth mouthfeel. It finishes with palate-flavour replays on the lingering, lip-smacking, delicious finish and aftertaste. Delightful when sipped on its own, it also shines with seafood and sushi appetizers. What’s not to like? (Vic Harradine)

• The following vintage-dated 2019 Tawse Winery ‘Quarry Road Vineyard – Spark’ Brut, Rosé Sparkling Wine was sourced from 100% hand-harvested organic and biodynamic accredited pinot noir from the Quarry Road Vineyard. It was fermented and fashioned in Méthode Traditionelle with 24 hours skin contact then 12 months on its lees. This has 6.0 g/L residual sugar.

93
Tawse Winery ‘Quarry Road Vineyard – Spark’ Brut, Rosé Sparkling Wine 2019
VQA Vinemount Ridge $30.15 12.5% alcohol
Bronze-hued in the glass, aromas of pit fruit—peach and yellow plum—decorated with rose petals abound on the nose from a gentle swirl and plenty of mousse. It surges over the palate with flavours of blood orange, sugar-sprinkled and grilled red grapefruit along with excellent tang and pizzazz persisting through the lip-smacking finish. There’s fine-bead bubbles and a great deal to like about this deftly balanced, creamy-smooth textured, delightful tasting sparkler, especially from the yin and yang of the sweet and tang flavours. The aftertaste is crisp, clean and refreshing. Pour on its own to welcome guests and follow up by serving seafood appetizers and/or a deli platter with this gem. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2019 Tawse Winery ‘Quarry Road Vineyard’ Riesling was sourced from their estate-owned Quarry Road Vineyard from hand-picked fruit from 12-year-old Riesling vines. It was fashioned as an off-dry wine. This is also a Vintages Essentials wine always available in a large number of select LCBO retail stores.

92
Tawse Winery ‘Quarry Road Vineyard - Organic’ Riesling 2019
VQA Vinemount Ridge $24.95 (198853) 11.0% alcohol
Aromas of wet-stone minerality, piquant, ginger spice and fresh lime precede a dazzling palate-freshening stream of lime cordial and tingling tang and acidity that’s balanced on a pin by 23.5g of residual sugar. This is crisp, refreshing and light-medium bodied with good mouthfeel and a monumentally long, lip-smacking finish and aftertaste. There’s persistent purity of fruit with palate replays and a laser-like line of mouth-watering tang and pizzazz. Pour on its own or alongside mussels steamed in white wine, sliced leeks with a splash of cream or a plate of gourmet sushi. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2020 Tawse Winery ‘Growers Blend’ Pinot Gris was sourced from estate vines as well as from a neighbour, Lawrie Vineyard. It will become available from the winery once the 2019 stock has been depleted in approximately a month or two from now.

91
Tawse Winery ‘Growers Blend’ Pinot Gris 2020
VQA Niagara Peninsula $29.05 12.0% alcohol
Bronze-tinged in the glass, aromas of strawberry and spice waft easily. It envelops the palate with tang-laden flavours of blood orange, lemon zest and wisps of passionfruit soon joined by a moderating wash of pit fruit—yellow plum and ripe peach. It’s crisp clean and refreshing on the palate with a dry finish and aftertaste. It’s medium-bodied with good texture and pours well with lemon chicken or pan-seared scallops. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2020 Tawse Winery ‘Growers Blend’ Unoaked Chardonnay’ was sourced from estate and select plots of purchased fruit, that was then fermented by ambient yeasts then 25% of the wine experienced malolactic fermentation. The quality-price balance tips well in your favour… pick up a few.

92
Tawse Winery ‘Growers Blend’ Unoaked Chardonnay’ 2020
VQA Niagara Peninsula $20.15 13.0% alcohol
Green apple, citrus and tropical fruit aromas open the door to this appealing chardonnay with its delightful palate flavours with Granny Smith apple, minerality with notions of leesy notes bolstered by creamy smooth texture, medium-plus body and deft balance throughout. It finishes tangy and full of pizzazz through the finish and aftertaste. Pour alongside white, three-cheese pizza—Gouda, Mozzarella, Stilton. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2019 Tawse Winery ‘Sketches’ Chardonnay was sourced from a blend of Estate and purchased fruit. This was barrel fermented, and barrel aged for 12 months in a mix of 60% 500L and 40% 228L with 30% new oak. It underwent full malolactic conversion.

92
Tawse Winery ‘Sketches’ Chardonnay 2019
VQA Ontario $19.95 (89037) 12.5% alcohol
Light-yellow hued in the glass, it opens with aromas of yellow apple, ripe pear and exotic spice followed by a palate-bathing river of flavour with baked apple, ginger root and lemon pie filling to the fore. It’s mellow and smooth with good purity of fruit extending to and through the bountiful, lip-smacking and lingering finish and aftertaste. This showcases almost fully evolved oak, deft balance, exceptional value and plenty to like. Pour with breaded pork cutlets or pan-seared freshwater fish. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2018 Tawse Winery ‘Quarry Road Vineyard – Estate Bottled’ Chardonnay was sourced from hand-harvested fruit from the Estate Quarry Road Vineyard that was planted in 1998 on mixed limestone and clay soils and is now farmed organically and biodynamically. The fruit was barrel fermented with indigenous yeast then barrel aged for 16 months in a mix of 228L and 500L French oak barrels, 30% new oak, with no bâtonnage. It also underwent full malolactic fermentation.

91
Tawse Winery ‘Quarry Road Vineyard – Estate Bottled’ Chardonnay 2018
VQA Vinemount Ridge $37.15 (111989) 13.5% alcohol
Appealing aromas of Mirabelle plum, exotic incense, yellow peach and almonds abound. It blankets the palate with a nicely textured surge of spiced vanilla, baked apple and plenty of tang and pizzazz. This is medium-plus bodied with good mouthfeel, deft balance and crisp, refreshing finish and aftertaste decorated with sharp mineral notes and plenty of mouth-watering acidity. Pour alongside lemony shrimp Risotto or steamed lobster with a dipping bowl of clarified butter. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2019 Tawse Winery ‘Quarry Road Vineyard – Estate Bottled’ Gewürztraminer was hand-picked from the Estate Quarry Road Vineyard. This has 35.3 g/L residual sugar

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Tawse Winery ‘Quarry Road Vineyard – Estate Bottled’ Gewürztraminer 2019
VQA Vinemount Ridge $25.15 11.5% alcohol
Lychee, ginger-infused spice and plenty of Turkish delight confectionary aromas dominate on the nose. The palate’s treated to a sweet gusher of rosewater and hints of sweet vanilla. It’s medium-bodied with good mouthfeel and pours well alongside baked, bone-in ham decorated with cloves and basted with maple syrup or a simple fruit flan. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2020 Tawse Winery ‘Growers Blend – Orange Wine – Skin-Fermented’ Pinot Gris was 100% hand-picked, sourced and purchased from Lawrie Vineyard and was in contact with skins for ten days with 2 g/L residual sugar remaining in the finished wine.

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Tawse Winery ‘Growers Blend – Orange Wine – Skin-Fermented’ Pinot Gris 2020
VQA Niagara Peninsula $27.15 12.0% alcohol
Aromas of orange zest, exotic incense and earthy notes introduce a linear line of tang-laden acidity consisting of crunchy passionfruit, tart orange juice and notions of piquant minerality. Pour this with a radicchio salad dressed with crumbled chèvre and verjus or home-baked bread or buns spread liberally with tapenade. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2020 Tawse ‘Sketches’ Rosé is a blend of red grapes—cabernet sauvignon/cabernet franc/pinot noir/merlot—from various premium selected plots as all the fruit was purchased and made in the saignée method from four to 24 hours depending on the batch. This wine is a great example of the VQA Ontario 2020 vintage and has a nicely balanced 5.9 g/L residual sugar. This is also a Vintages Essentials wine always available in a large number of select LCBO retail stores.

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Tawse ‘Sketches’ Rosé 2020
VQA Niagara Peninsula $17.95 (172643) 13.0% alcohol
Mixed red cherry/berry aromas intertwine with floral notes on the nose. It bathes the palate with a nicely balanced stream of delightful, delectable flavours—red raspberry, strawberry and tangy pie cherry—stretching through to the finish and aftertaste. This is rich in flavour and balanced on a pin with a lengthy lip-smacking finish and mouth-watering aftertaste. The price-quality balance tips well in your favour, pick up a handful. Sipping well on its own, it’s versatile at the table, pour with pan-seared or poached salmon or a variety of sushi and sashimi. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2019 Tawse Winery ‘Cherry Vineyard – Estate Bottled’ Gamay was hand-harvested from Tawse’ Estate Gamay block then aged for six months in 228L French oak barrels, 40% new oak, 60% pre-loved oak.

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Tawse Winery ‘Cherry Vineyard – Estate Bottled’ Gamay 2019
VQA Twenty Mile Bench $32.15 11.5% alcohol
This is light-crimson hued in the glass while appealing aromas flow freely with the slightest swirl—fresh lively red fruit with plum and cherry decorated with piquant vanilla, floral and earthy notes. It tackles the palate with a delicious and tang-laden surge of pie cherry and passion fruit adorned with ripe, almost sweet red plum and wisps of blueberry tart that appear mid-palate and persist through the lip-smacking, lengthy finish and aftertaste. There’s plenty of pizzazz and tension as well as balancing ripe flavours. Pour alongside lamb tagine. (Vic Harradine)

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Tawse Winery ‘Quarry Road Vineyard – Estate Bottled’ Pinot Noir 2018
VQA Vinemount Ridge $37.15 (307686) 13.0% alcohol
Lively aromas leap from the glass—piquant spice of cinnamon and ginger mingling with earthy and mineral notes galore. There’s a laser-like streak of red fruit on the palate—cranberry, passionfruit and pomegranate—riding a stream of tang and acidity that’s ameliorated on the back palate by riper red cherry and raspberry. There’s a lick of tannin throughout the dry finish and aftertaste. Aerate/decant for three hours before serving with coq au vin or cassoulet. Careful cellaring for two or three years should also be rewarded. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2018 Redstone Winery ‘Redstone Vineyard’ Syrah was 100% sourced from its Estate Redstone Vineyard that was hand harvested then aged 16 months in 228L French oak barrels with 35% new oak.

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Redstone Winery ‘Redstone Vineyard’ Syrah 2018
VQA Lincoln Lakeshore $40.15 13.0% alcohol
Aromas of dark berry fruit—black currant and black raspberry—mingle with mocha and floral notes. It washes over the palate with a burst of bramble berry and tangy acidity persisting through the finish and aftertaste along with adornments of peppery spice and black plum. Pour with a striploin, grilled medium-rare. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2016 Redstone Winery ‘Redstone Vineyard’ Merlot was 100% hand-harvested and sourced from the Estate Redstone Vineyard then matured 16 months in 228L French oak barrels with 35% new oak.

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Redstone Winery ‘Redstone Vineyard’ Merlot 2016
VQA Lincoln Lakeshore $46.15 14.0% alcohol
Aromas of dark chocolate, cassis and black Bing cherry abound. It captures the palate with a delicious wash that’s balanced and bountiful—black currant, black plum and mulberry decorated with excellent acidity as well as notions of dark bittersweet chocolate. This showcases persistent purity of fruit, deft balance, good mouthfeel and plenty of tang and pizzazz through the entire tasting experience. Kudos to the entire winemaking team under the extraordinary tutelage of Paul Pender, Director of Viticulture and Winemaking. (Vic Harradine)

LCBO ‘Limited Time Offers’ – July 19 to August 15, 2021

Regardless of the vintage you purchase from the LCBO, you’ll receive the discount shown below for each bottle of wine reviewed below that’s purchased (either ‘in person’ or online) July 21 to August 15, 2021.

White Wine

• The following five wines will have a discount of $2.00 taken off the price shown below for each bottle purchased from July 19 to August 15, 2021

• The following Castello Banfi “Principessa Gavia’ Gavi was sourced from 100% indigenous, estate-grown, cortese grapes, gently pressed and fermented under 18°C for twenty days in stainless steel enhancing freshness and delicate aromas in the wine. The winery began in 1860 then purchased by Banfi in the late 1970s.

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 Castello Banfi “Principessa Gavia’ Gavi
 DOCG Piedmont $19.95 (2506960) 12.5% alcohol
 This is a well-paced and well-priced Vintages Essentials wine, always available in select LCBO stores. Straw, citrus and wisps of honeyed aromas precede an explosion of flavour—lemon curd, sprigs of herbs and hints of pineapple. It coats the palate infusing the clean, refreshing finish and aftertaste. This is light-medium weight with good mouthfeel and a boatload of pizzazz and tangy acidity. Pour as an aperitif or with pan-seared white fish or poached scallops. (Vic Harradine)

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 Boschendal ‘1685’ Chardonnay
 WO Western Cape, South Africa $15.95 (367698) 14.0% alcohol
 Boschendal has been making wine in the Franschhoek Valley for over 300 years. Tropical fruit, ripe apple, sweet vanilla and pear aromas precede a balanced, medium-bodied gusher of apple pie, pineapple and lemon curd with wisps of minerality and toasty oak. There’s good mouthfeel and plenty of tang on the crisp, clean, refreshing finish. Good to go now with pan-seared freshwater fish—exceptional value here. (Vic Harradine)

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 Flat Rock Cellars Chardonnay
 VQA Twenty Mile Bench $19.95 (286278) 13.0% alcohol
 Medium yellow-gold hued, this leaps from the glass with lifted aromas of baking spice, toasty notes, pineapple and caramel. It envelops the palate with a medium-plus bodied, well-textured river of ripe apple and tingling citrus acidity with oodles of nerve, verve and pizzazz expressed as white grapefruit on the back palate and aftertaste. This will be divine paired with freshly shucked Malpec oysters, prawn ceviche or pan-seared white fish under a generous squeeze of fresh lemon. (Vic Harradine)

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 La Crema Chardonnay
 Sonoma Coast $29.95 (962886) 13.5% alcohol
 This is an elegant chardonnay with subtle oak aromas on the nose combined with notes of apple and minerality. It’s medium-full bodied with zesty acidity delivering green apple and citrus flavours on the palate. The finish is tangy and underlined with clean minerality. This will evolve nicely in the cellar for a few years, and can be enjoyed with shrimp parmesan pasta. (Dave Isaacs)

• The following 2017 Tawse ‘Sketches of Niagara’ Riesling is a Vintages Essentials wine always found in select LCBO stores.

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 Tawse ‘Sketches of Niagara’ Riesling
 VQA Niagara Peninsula $18.95 (89029) 10.0% alcohol
 An assortment of hand-harvested grapes from select vineyards in the Niagara Peninsula fashioned this delectable fruit-forward, off-dry, low-alcohol gem. Fragrant petrol notes introduce ripe nectarine, grapefruit, Asian pear aromas and a whiff of nutmeg. The palate’s mellow with rich, stone fruit flavours flirting with perfectly balanced acidity and minerality. This is perfect to sip on its own or paired with pomelo and spicy crab salad. (Louise Boutin)

• The following wine will have a discount of $3.00 taken off the price shown below for each bottle purchased from July 19 to August 15, 2021

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 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc
 Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $19.95 (316570) 13.0% alcohol
 Lemon-lime citrus, grassy and pit fruit on the nose, this washes across the palate at full sail with tangy, juicy flavours of lemon drop candy, herbaceous notes and lip-smacking key lime pie flavours. Medium bodied with a silky mouth feel and consistently one of the most popular white wines in the Vintages Essentials line up. (Vic Harradine)

Red Wine

• The following six wines will have a discount of $2.00 taken off the price shown below for each bottle purchased from July 19 to August 15, 2021

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 Cathedral Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
 WO Paarl, South Africa $17.95 (328567) 13.0% alcohol
 Smoky, earthy and dried cherry aromatics waft from the glass of this medium-bodied red. There are a good deal of sweet, black, ripe cherry and plum flavours with hints of chocolate and tar in the involved flavour profile. All this is wrapped around perceptible tannins and oaky notes that may need some time to quiet down. Drink now with rare or medium-rare pepper steak. (Vic Harradine)

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 Francis Coppola ‘Diamond Collection Ivory Label’ Cabernet Sauvignon
 California $24.95 (521021) 13.5% alcohol
 Wood smoke and toasty oak mingle with ripe dark fruit—mulberry, bramble berry and juicy cherry on the nose of this meaty, delectable California Cab. It’s full bodied and fully flavoured flaunting rich, concentrated and luscious flavours of spice-laden black Bing cherry and briary berry garnished with dark chocolate and cassis. The finish lingers with gorgeous replays, lip-smacking tang and a supple tannin base. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2018 Wakefield ‘Estate Label’ Shiraz is a Vintages Essentials wine, always available in many LCBO stores.

• Clare Valley is a relatively cool-climate region in South Australia, a couple hours from the Barossa Valley. It’s also the spiritual and physical home of the Taylor family who own and manage this fabulous winery. The price-quality balance tips wildly in your favour; it punches well above its price. 

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 Wakefield ‘Estate Label’ Shiraz
 Clare Valley, South Australia $19.95 (943787) 14.5% alcohol
 Aromas of black cherry, berry and plum intertwine with baking spice and cocoa on the nose of this value-packed shiraz. It spreads over the palate creamy smooth and medium-plus bodied while unleashing a gusher of fruit-forward flavour of ripe mulberry, black plum and ripe Bing cherry adorned with balancing tang and a boatload of pizzazz. It showcases persistent purity of fruit, is balanced on a pin and sports a dry, delectable finish with palate replays plus a hint of cassis and dark, bittersweet chocolate. Pour with friends and slow-cooked lamb shoulder or grilled rack of lamb. Pick up a few and drink over the next seven or eight years. (Vic Harradine)

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 Majella ‘The Magician’ Cabernet/Shiraz
 Coonawarra, South Australia $19.95 (142018) 14.5% alcohol
 Exotic spice, tobacco leaf, campfire smoke and black plum aromas on the nose, this streaks across the palate with red and black currant, sour cherry and oodles of tang. It’s medium-plus weight with generous mouth feel and a lengthy, mouth-watering aftertaste of red berry fruit and spice. Serve with red pizza or pasta in tomato sauce. (Vic Harradine)

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 Beronia ‘Reserva’
DOCa Rioja $18.95 (50203) 14.0% alcohol
 This tempranillo/graciano/mazuelo blend spent 18 months in French and American oak barrels then 20 months in bottle before release. Black plum, red cherry, leather and spice on the nose, it dishes up a lively wash of baking spice, red and black cherry and briary berry on the palate. It’s medium weight with satin-smooth texture and a long, racy, lip-smacking finish. (Vic Harradine)

• The following wine will have a discount of $2.50 taken off the price shown below for each bottle purchased from July 19 to August 15, 2021

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Penfolds ‘Koonunga Hill’ Shiraz – Cabernet
 South Australia $19.95 (285544) 13.5% alcohol
 This is rich and perfumed on the nose releasing dark dusty aromas of cherry, mint and mixed dark berry fruit. On the palate there’s a delicious wave of flavour with mouth-coating succulent Bing cherry mingling with ripe mulberry and lip-smacking tart cranberry. It finishes balanced, lingering and delicious. Leaving little to be desired, it’s full value, and then some. (Vic Harradine)

• The following two wines will have a discount of $3.00 taken off the price shown below for each bottle purchased from July 19 to August 15, 2021

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Rodney Strong ‘Sonoma County’ Cabernet Sauvignon
Sonoma County $27.95 (226944) 13.5% alcohol
Savoury herbs and red berry fruit aromas precede medium-plus bodied, well-textured mouthfuls of black and red cherry/berry flavours adorned with grilled savoury herbs and charred toast. It’s fruit-filled and pours well with grilled rack of lamb or grilled striploin after a one- or two-hour aeration/decant. As California cab goes, this is certainly attractively priced. (Vic Harradine)

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 Zenato ‘Ripassa – Superiore’
 DOC Superiore Ripasso, Italy $27.95 (479766) 14.0% alcohol
 Leftover grape skins and seeds (pomace) from Amarone and Recioto wine are added to the crushed and fermenting grapes of this wine, with the potential of adding colour, tannin, alcohol, texture, flavour and complexity. This is medium-full bodied, overflowing with rich flavour—sweet dried currant, spiced pie cherry, fig and mocha—sporting a well-balanced long succulent aftertaste. This has the oomph and structure to pair well with grilled steak or the heartiest of stews, like osso buco. It’s a step up in price and quality; you might give it a try. (Vic Harradine)

Cheers, Lisa, Louise, Dave, Vic