Canadian Wine Guy

Salmon in color with a soft nose. On the mid palate the wine displays ripe strawberry notes along with some cranberry and floral tones. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice crisp dry minerality and vibrant acidity. I have to say, this wine did not immediately grip me or make we want to go get more, in fact, on first taste it was like, ok this is odd … It grew on me as I got use to it, but I would say I am not a fan. I would give it an 87-88 and honestly if I had more, I’d probably take it back 🙁 From the LCBO web site, check stock:

$19.95VINTAGES#:498535

Product Details

A slight, pink-hue greets the eye while the nose takes in strong aromas of strawberry, cranberry and red cherry. It surges over the palate with a racy streak of tart rhubarb and strawberry pie, along with Meyer lemon and passionfruit. This is well paced, well-priced, well balanced and well… lip-smacking delicious from twist top to last drop. The winemaker suggests pouring with rainbow trout and I agree, especially when pan-seared then receiving a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Drink or cellar [for 3-5 years from vintage]. Exceptional Value! Score – 93. (Vic Harradine, winecurrent.com, Aug. 15, 2022)

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• VQA Wines
• Made In Ontario

More Details

• Release Date April 1, 2023
• Alcohol/Vol 13%
• Made In Ontario, Canada
• By Malivoire
• Sugar Content 2 g/L
• Varietal Rosé

From the Winery’s web site:

Winemakers Notes

Composition:  88% Pinot Noir, 12% Pinot Gris

The nose is a busy mélange of strawberry, white raspberry, Granny Smith apple, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, grapefruit and chamomile.

Tasting reveals a juicy mouthfeel, buoyed by vibrant front palate acidity. Melon, citrus and tree fruit reminders carry to the palate, adding cranberry, lime and lingering watermelon.

Estate-grown grapes were hand-picked at cool daybreak temperatures on September 14th and 23rd, as grape sugars averaged 21.3° Brix.

Vinification:  Estate-grown Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris grapes were hand-picked and pressed immediately, after which the juice was chilled in a horizontal “dairy tank” prior to cool fermentation in stainless steel. 

As you may have noticed we had a prolonged outage due to an issue at our ISP. Our apologies … We resume our regularly scheduled program already in progress 😉

Ok, biases up front, I have a HUGE hang up that I expect a wine to be varietal … If it’s a pinot it ought to taste like a pinot, but I am getting ahead of myself … Garnet in color with a nice soft red berry nose. On the mid palate the wine displays mostly soft red cherries along with maybe some riper raspberries. On the light side of medium in length this wine displays soft tannins and acidity. To my tastes this wine is ore like a cab than a pinot. I would give it an 87-88 only because of my upfront disclosed bias. If you can close your mind to what it ought to be, it’s not a bad wine at all. From the LCBO web site, check stock:

$24.95VINTAGES#:325282

Product Details

The Vinedressers Reserve Pinot Noir 2018 is made in a rich style, with tones of smoky fruit, earthy forest and savoury herbs, plus some chocolate notes. Try it with steak kebabs.

• VQA Wines
• Made In Ontario

More Details

• Release Date April 1, 2023
• Alcohol/Vol 13%
• Made In Ontario, Canada
• By Vinedressers
• Sugar Content 4 g/L
• Varietal Pinot Noir

Dark in color with a dark cherry nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some vibrant dark fruits, along with some varietal cab franc notes, I always have trouble putting a name to them … There’s really noticeable oaking coming through … On the lighter side of medium in length finish the wine displays some fine dusty tannins and smooth acidity, nice and dry. All in all this is a nice wine with good earthy characters, distinctive, and varietal notes. I enjoyed the wine, but not sure I would race back and grab a case … I would give it an -88. From the LCBO web site, check stock:

$24.95VINTAGES#:32023

Product Details

A rich, ripe, robust blend of the two Cabernets, with Sauvignon making up 80% of the whole. It features burly, upfront dark fruit with earthy herbs and oak spice. Try it with mushroom burgers or a fully stacked beef stew. Drink in 2023.

• VQA Wines
• Made In Ontario

More Details

• Release Date March 4, 2023
• Alcohol/Vol14%
• Made In Ontario, Canada
• Sugar Content 2 g/L
• Varietal Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc

Slightly golden in color with a nice apple/pear nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some nice apple and pear notes along with some smokey/woody notes. On the medium length finish the wine is slightly creamy with some vanilla and minerally notes, nice and dry. This is one of those in between wines, not as oaked as some but not unoaked either. We paired it with pan fried chicken schnitzel and it went well. I would give it an 88 or so … From the LCBO web site, check stock:

$22.95VINTAGES#:520668

Product Details

Bernard Gorski prides himself on the meticulous care he affords his grapes at every stage. Hand-harvested, barrel-fermented and aged eight months on the lees, this round, approachable Chard will invite you to sail away on waves of lemon, apple pie, buttercream, and oak spice.

• VQA Wines
• Made In Ontario

More Details

• Release Date February 4, 2023
• Alcohol/Vol 13.6%
• Made In Ontario, Canada
• By Vintages Front Line Release
• Sugar Content 4 g/L
• Varietal Chardonnay

I’ve had a number of past vintages of this wine so when I saw it on the vintages release I pounced. Garnet in color with a nice mild red berry nose. On the mid palate the wine displays lovely varietal vibrant red berries, strawberries and the like. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice dried cherry notes along with some nice smooth tannins and acidity … nice and dry. This is a lovely pinot with some length and depth to it that punches way above it’s price point, an Okanaghan wine from BC. This wine IMHO should keep nicely for a couple years. I will get more and put them in the cellar yummy! I would give it an 88 or so … From the LCBO web site, check stock:

$21.95 VINTAGES #:267146

Product Details

The 2020 vintage of this wine is the first to be fully certified organic. A wonderful value in Pinot Noir of this quality, it offers a complex range of spicy, brambly, bright berry notes along with an alluring aroma of forest floor. Pair with soy-glazed salmon or a warm mushroom salad.

• VQA Wines
• Organic

More Details

• Release Date February 18, 2023
• Alcohol/Vol 12.9%
• Made In British Columbia, Canada
• By Vintages Front Line Release
• Sugar Content 2 g/L
• Varietal Pinot Noir