Vintages Release: November 19, 2022

• The following 4 wines are slated for a November 19, 2022 Vintages Release

• The following 2019 Primus ‘Organic Wine’ Carménère from Chile sourced from a good vintage from healthy vines and wine certified organic by Eco Cert, and accredited as vegan-friendly.
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Primus ‘Organic Wine’ Carménère 2019
D.O. Apalta, Colchagua, Chile $19.95 (439356) 14.0% alcohol
Aromas of grilled green savoury herbs and notes of forest-floor earthy bits dominate the nose. Strong-flavours blanket the palate with tang-laden green savoury herbs the most prominent and along with still-evolving tannin and plenty of tang and pizzazz throughout. Aerate/decant for three hours before serving. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2021 Gérard Bertrand ‘Source of Joy’ Rosé was sourced from three grape varieties manually harvested early in the morning in the appellation of AOP Languedoc, France—grenache noir/syrah/cinsault—with each variety kept separate and harvested at each of their own optimum time of ripeness. This Rosé was made using the saignée method of rosé winemaking that involves “bleeding” off a portion of red wine juice after it's been in contact with the skins and seeds. The alcoholic fermentation took place under controlled temperatures in order to showcase the aromas. A portion of the wines has been matured in oak barrels. To keep this wine fresh with natural acidity, malolactic fermentation was not allowed. The wine is accredited as vegan-friendly and certified organic. The ‘Source of Joy’ refers to the ‘fountain of youth’ with no ironclad guarantee that there is one.

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Gérard Bertrand ‘Source of Joy’ Rosé 2021
AOP Languedoc, France $24.95 (25787) 13.5% alcohol
Aromas of cherry/berry fruit mingle with spice and mineral notes on the nose that precede a gusher of crisp, refreshing palate flavours with red currant and ruby red grapefruit juxtaposed with notions of watermelon and orange marmalade. This is nicely balanced with tang and pizzazz that persist through the finish and aftertaste. It’s clean and lip-smacking good on the finish and mouth-watering on the aftertaste. Pick up a few and serve chilled; this can be accomplished by removing from the kitchen frig 15 minutes before opening and pouring on its own or with seafood, sushi or a charcouterie board. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2019 Best’s Wines ‘Bin No 1’ Shiraz won the prestigious ‘Trophy for Best Shiraz’ at the 2021, 40th Victorian Wine Show.

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Best’s Wines ‘Bin No 1’ Shiraz 2019
Great Western, Victoria, Australia $21.95 (222323) 14.5% alcohol
Delicate aromas of cherry/berry fruit and mint can be coaxed from the glass. It delivers in spades on the palate with a river of sapid and smooth flavours with ripe mulberry, black raspberry and notions of cassis that display on entry and continue through to the lingering and balanced finish and aftertaste. There’s a sure fire match with grilled beef steak or grilled pork back ribs. The quality-price balance is tipped well in your favour with a 93 point score and a $21.95 price tag. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2018 Claymore Wines ‘You’ll never walk alone’ wine is a blend of grenache/shiraz/mataro. Mataro is also known as mourvèdre and monastrell. The price-quality balance tips in your favour, pick up a few.

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Claymore Wines ‘You’ll never walk alone’ 2018
Clare Valley, Australia $19.95 (409086) 14.7% alcohol
Alluring aromas of blueberry, ripe mulberry and juicy black cherry dominate the nose adorned with black licorice and exotic spice and incense. The wine reveals itself on the gusher of palate flavours—black bramble berry, dark Bing cherry and notions of Ribena—and are persistent through the smooth, mellow, lingering and nicely balanced finish and aftertaste. Pour with a grilled rack of Australian lamb slathered with spicy barbecue sauce. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2021 Speck Brothers ‘Family Tree – The Boxer’s Ghost’ Pinot Noir is slated for a Vintages Release on December 3, 2022

• It may get you a few more invitations if you bring this along as a thank you for the host at a festive dinner to which you were invited. The ‘Boxer’s Ghost’ refers to an unofficial boxing match in the 1800’s and after a day at the horse track—now the Devil’s Hollow Vyd—Bets were placed and the wrong man won. He was never seen again (alive at least…) This wine was sustainably grown and accredited as such by Sustainable Winemaking Ontario. It was fermented in stainless steel in conjunction with oak using pulse-air to manage the cap and colour. It also matured with European oak for 6+ months.

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Speck Brothers ‘Family Tree – The Boxer’s Ghost’ Pinot Noir 2021
VQA Niagara Peninsula $19.95 (306221) 12.8% alcohol
Aromas of piquant spice and red fruit—strawberry and cherry—mingle with earthy notes and mixed savoury herbs. Palate flavours of pie cherry, pomegranate and hints of passionfruit persist to and through the lip-smacking finish and the crisp, clean and refreshing aftertaste. There’s good balance, smooth and mellow flavours, texture and mouthfeel. Give this a go with cedar plank barbecued salmon hot off the grill with a squeeze of lemon and dotted with butter or pan-seared in butter with a squeeze of fresh lemon. (Vic Harradine)

Vintages Release TBD, 2022

• The following 2020 ‘3 - Rings Shiraz’ is a perennial favourite for Aussie shiraz lovers and there are plenty of reasons why it’s so popular. This is not your usual garden-variety favourite that tastes similar each vintage. In fact the opposite as the goal of this winery is to work with what nature provides and it provides differences in weather as far as temperatures, and also rainfall and winds are concerned. The fruit may have enjoyed a perfect season in 2020 as we did here in VQA Ontario appellations. This is not a fruit bomb as they harvest the same estate-grown fruit each year, although the alcohol easily reached 14.9% indicating they harvested with a high Brix level as the grapes reached close to perfect ripeness. They also kept yields low at 2.02 tonnes per acre.

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Australian Wine Company 3-ring Shiraz 2020
Barossa Valley, Australia $19.95 (15495) 14.9% alcohol
Alluring aromas of exotic incense, ripe bramble berry fruit—black raspberry and black currant—are replayed on the palate while juxtaposed with lip-smacking tang and plenty of pizzazz to and through the mouth-watering aftertaste soon joined by grilled savoury herbs and piquant spices. This showcases persistent purity of fruit underpinned by ripe, fine-grained tannin that meld and balance perfectly with ripe fruit and a laser-like line of tang and pizzazz. This wine has good structure, deft balance and a delicious palate and follow through. Give it a go with rack of lamb or osso buco. The price-quality balance tips well in your favour pick up an armful. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2021 Iris Vineyards Pinot Noir was sourced from 100% Pinot Noir from many of the premium vineyards in the Willamette Valley. It’s pronounced—will-am-it—dammit. This particular tasty treat spent some time in 100% French oak with only 10% new.

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Iris Vineyards Pinot Noir 2021
AVA Willamette Valley, Oregon, U.S.A. $29.95 13.7% alcohol
Fresh and juicy aromas waft easily from the gentlest of swirls. This wine was carefully aged after it was gently destemmed into stainless steel vats and 1.25 ton open-top fermenters. The palate picks up all the hard work and many issues that were handled with great care and wine wisdom. Palate-flavours are a gusher of ripe fruit—black Bing cherry, bramble berry and hints of mocha mingling with ripe fruit underpinned by soft ripe tannin that reflect the careful handling and excellent decisions in the fermentation and maturation of this tasty, deftly balanced red wine that also showcases persistent purity of fruit with a lengthy and luscious finish and aftertaste laced with tang and pizzazz. Pour alongside cedar-planked salmon on the barbecue, backyard burgers or gourmet sausage. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2020 Carmin ‘Reguengos – Seleção - Reserva’ is an inspired red blend of 40% alicante bouschet/20% aragonês/20% trincadeira/20% syrah. The grapes are rushed to the winery after harvest and immediately destemmed and crushed. Select yeast strains are chosen for the fermentation at a controlled temperature of 28 °C. The fermentation and maceration are both completed in a 15-day period. The wine was partially aged in vats for 12 months with the balance matured for 12 months in French and American oak barrels also for 12 months.

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Carmin ‘Reguengos – Seleção - Reserva’ 2020
DOC Alentejo, Portugal $16.95 14.5% alcohol
Aromas of black currant, ripe mulberry and a notion of blueberry open up this wine, hinting at the pleasant imbibing experience to follow. It’s medium-plus bodied with creamy-smooth mouthfeel and plenty to like on the palate as it’s food friendly and raring to go. Palate-flavours of black raspberry, cherry clafoutie and espresso roast adorned with grilled savoury herbs are to the fore. Give this a go with lamb tagine, cassoulet or prawn and chorizo paella. (Vic Harradine)

• The following Carmim ‘Reguengos – Old Vines’ 2020 is an interesting red blend of 40% alicante bouschet/30% trincadeira/30% aragonez from vines at harvest that were 35 years and older. The grapes for this wine were matured for 9 months in French and American oak barrels.

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Carmim ‘Real Grei – Reguengos – Old Vines’ 2020
DOC Alentejo, Portugal $14.95 14.5% alcohol
Exotic incense mingles with piquant spice and fresh red cherry and red currant jelly on the nose. The palate’s treated to a smooth and mellow wash of blood orange, passionfruit and ripe mulberry mingling with black currant and ripe dark cherry. This is well balanced and brimming with flavour that persists to and through the finish and aftertaste. Give this a go with red pizza, burgers or pasta in tomato sauce with a side of medium-spiced chorizo sausage. The price-quality ratio tips well in your favour; pick up a few at this price. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2020 Carmim ‘Olaria – Reserva’ was sourced from a red blend of 50% alicante bouschet/30% syrah/20% trincadeira. The grapes are rushed to the winery after harvest and immediately destemmed and crushed. Select yeast strains are chosen for the fermentation at a controlled temperature of 28 °C. The fermentation and maceration are both completed in a 15-day period. The wine matured for 12 months in French and American oak barrels.

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Carmim ‘Olaria - Reserva’ 2020
DOC Alentejo, Portugal $15.95 14.5% alcohol
Alluring aromas of ripe juicy cherry/berry fruit, sweet vanilla and mocha are soon joined by palate flavours of © Ribena, juicy-sweet, ripe Bing cherry, notions of baking spice that melds together like an iron fist in a velvet glove. There’s an abundance of tang and plenty of pizzazz from cork pop to last drop with a lingering mouth-watering finish and lip-smacking aftertaste that’s intertwined with the ripe flavours from the palate. It’s drinking well now and will be even better three or four years from now with careful cellaring. Pour on its own or with pastitsio, lasagna or cured or semi-cured cheese. (Vic Harradine)