"Best of Canada" wine tasting.

In a couple of days we will be singing "O Canada" so here are a few wines tasted recently downtown. I would not entirely agree about the selection but as it was an in-store tasting, go with the flow eh.

Reception wine as the `08 Lake Breeze Semillon (BC), nice off-dry but faint aromatics. Not long ago, I opened an `04 which was delicious. First white offered was the `07 Vineland Estates Elevation Riesling from Ontario. Good balance with mineral tones. Some tartness, off-dry and quite popular. The `07 8th Generation Pinot Noir was highly anticipated by some but many thought the finish was way too hot. Poor wine-making in my opinion, blah blah.

The `06 Stratus Red from Ont is a Bordeaux blend and was way too young with too much oak on the nose. Seen this on restaurant wine-lists, might be better with food but doubtful. Cellar for 5 yrs I`d say. Otto would not like this, I am sure! The next red was the `05 Henry of Pelham Reserve Baco Noir, an Ontario wine I have referred to in the past. Plump blackberry, grainy tannins, earthy, smoky and nice to serve slightly chilled. Good response from tasters, "great with an elk burger" was one cry!
Many also admired the `06 Quails Gate Old Vines Foch (Ont). I found some caramel on the nose (unusual), quite smooth, soft tannins, ashtray, pruney. One person thought "port-like Zin", fair enough. Think I might try again, it has been a while.
We finished off with the `07 Inniskillin Sparkling Icewine from Ont. $73 Cdn for 375 ml bottle. Honey, apricot, caramel, delicate lively effervescence, quite a treat.

I also wasn't really impressed with the selection, and now that they are charging for this event I was definitely not going to attend.

Sounds like the ones you tried were pretty good, kind of old standy-bys I'd say. I haven't been that impressed with the Stratus portfolio but maybe I just need to invest in some cellar time, as you said. Thx for the notes! Were you helping them pour?

Saturday Event.

The $15 went to the inner-city children lunch program.
Pour, sort of! Run glasses, usual stuff.
Those 8th Generation wines are way over-hyped.

My notes above were from the Thursday night tasting.

Vineland Estate made some nice Rieslings in 2007 and 2008...

The `06 Stratus Red from Ont is a Bordeaux blend and was way too young with too much oak on the nose. Seen this on restaurant wine-lists, might be better with food but doubtful. Cellar for 5 yrs I`d say. Otto would not like this, I am sure!

I have an 02 of this somewhere in my cellar, based on what you said, seems like time to pop this puppy?

Mike

[Jenise]

Bob, does Quails Gate have an east coast winery in addition to their Okanagan facility, or was that a typo? Didn't realize anyone but Inniskillin covered both sides.

I don't believe Quail's Gate is in Niagara - but I can think of one other winery in addition to Inniskillin that has an Okanagan and a Niagara facility: Jackson-Triggs.

Bob, does Quails Gate have an east coast winery in addition to their Okanagan facility, or was that a typo? Didn't realize anyone but Inniskillin covered both sides.

My mistake, Okanagan only.

I have an 02 of this somewhere in my cellar, based on what you said, seems like time to pop this puppy?

Mike

Definitely, in my opinion. I'd have it very soon. I suspect the 2002 wouldn't have a lot of fruit left.

Many thanks and will do!

Just chiming in late now - Bob, thanks for forwarding the note!

I would say that an '05 BN Reserve would show in an excellent way, mainly because that was a fine vintage for reds in Ontario. No surprises there.

Good thing that Henry of Pelham had the foresight to resist the trend away from our classic red grapes, and that they keep making this fine wine. They and Malivoire are the only big-name wineries who have the courage to do so.

Thanks again Bob.

Vineland Estate made some nice Rieslings in 2007 and 2008...

Vineland seems to always do good Rieslings, I have bought them many times, never disappointed.

The `06 Stratus Red from Ont is a Bordeaux blend and was way too young with too much oak on the nose. Seen this on restaurant wine-lists, might be better with food but doubtful. Cellar for 5 yrs I`d say. Otto would not like this, I am sure!

I have an 02 of this somewhere in my cellar, based on what you said, seems like time to pop this puppy?

Mike

I recently had the '01 Stratus red and thought that is was ok, but nothing special. I also had the '05 a couple of years ago at Treadwells and had similar feelings - decent but way too much $$$.

The `06 Stratus Red from Ont is a Bordeaux blend and was way too young with too much oak on the nose. Seen this on restaurant wine-lists, might be better with food but doubtful. Cellar for 5 yrs I`d say. Otto would not like this, I am sure!

I have an 02 of this somewhere in my cellar, based on what you said, seems like time to pop this puppy?

Mike

I recently had the '01 Stratus red and thought that is was ok, but nothing special. I also had the '05 a couple of years ago at Treadwells and had similar feelings - decent but way too much $$$.

That just about sums up my impression after visiting the place several years ago. There are other Niagara wineries that offer much better QPR.

On the topic of top Canadian wines in the Niagara side, starting with Pinot and Chard, anyone try Le Clos Jordanne? I think they do a pretty decent job. They were located pretty close to a couple of producer that did decent things with Riesling, Hidden Bench and thirty Bench.

Le Clos Jordanne has certainly received lots of hype and positive reviews from a wide range of people. I have only tasted the 2006 collection, and was impressed but not enthralled. Their prices are rather high, but they are trying to make great wines, that seems clear. Whethewr they will be able to in another question. The 2007 vintage was stroinger in Niagara, and I've heard their wines are better this vintage as well.

For me, it's too early to tell, but it does seem they have raised the bar in Ontario and Canada to some degree. I have three bottles of their wine, which is by far the highest number of Canadian wines I own by a producer!

On the topic of top Canadian wines in the Niagara side, starting with Pinot and Chard, anyone try Le Clos Jordanne? I think they do a pretty decent job. They were located pretty close to a couple of producer that did decent things with Riesling, Hidden Bench and thirty Bench.

Michael,
I havent tried any of the Chards but I have tried 3 of the Pinots (two single vineyard '04s and their "basic" Village '05) and have nothing but good things to say about the wines. While they are expensive, they are one of the few producers in Niagara that are worth the big bucks that they are charging. Keep in mind that most of their vines were only planted in 2000/01 so they are very young. I have a couple of the '07s, but they will need to wait for a few years.

They are not really that close to Hidden Bench and Thirty Bench - about a 15 -20 minute drive, but I would expect (being located on the Bench) that the terroir is similar.

BTW, LCJ is fully organic and biodynamic and they really keep the yields low and have a large team of workers that always seem to be in the vineyards, so the cost of making the wines can't be cheap...

Norm

Norm

Many thanks for that. I've got a few of their 07 Le Grand Clos (Chard and PN) which I've not touched yet. Maybe I should tuck into one soon to find out for myself.

Mike

I also got some 03 1er Cru PN n 05 Claystone Terrace and Le Petit Clos from LCJ waiting in my cellar...
I love their whites , very cool and tasted quite like a Burg!