My wife and I attended a small, local wine and food show. Unfortunately, it has held in a hockey rink on a very warm day and it didn't take long for it to become quite warm and humid inside.
An interesting selection of wines, mostly Ontario, with a few treats thrown in at the end.
Inniskillin Unoaked Chardonnay 2009
Niagara
Pear, spicy on the nose.
Fresh, crisp, green apple, a hint of orange, tangy acidity, very clean.
Tangy, citrus and green apple acidity on the finish.
Very nice and well priced.
Sandbanks Rose 2010
Prince Edward County (Ontario)
A blend of Vidal, Cabernet Franc and a hybrid that I had never heard of before: Geisenheim.
Light pink in the glass.
Grapefruit and peach on the spicy nose.
A tad sweet, juicy ruby grapefruit, peach, a hint of orange, good acidity.
Very tangy, grapefruit on the finish.
Quite nice.
Fielding Pinot Gris 2010
Niagara
Light yellow, almost clear, in the glass.
Dry, grapefruit and lemon on the nose.
Medium weight, creamy, lemon, grapefruit, drying.
Drying, lemon, grapefruit on the mouthwatering finish.
Fielding Riesling 2009
Very shy on the nose.
Medium weight, fleshy, apple, very juicy, a little sweet, good acidity, clean.
Tangy and apple on the finish.
Chateau des Charmes Riesling 2008
Niagara
Light yellow in the glass.
Petrol on the nose.
Medium weight, lemon rind, peppery, a little bitter.
Lemon, drying, lip smacking on the finish.
Casa Dea
Dea's Cuvee 2009
Prince Edward County
A 50-50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Rich yellow in the glass.
Yeasty, bready nose.
Good mousse.
Old, overripe fruit. Not good.
Fielding Cabernet-Syrah 2008
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (48 per cent), Syrah (33) and Cabernet Franc (19).
Very smoky, spicy on the rich nose.
Medium weight, smoky, earthy, cherry, a little tangy, spicy, very rich, drying tannins.
Drinking well now, but would benefit from some short-term cellaring.
Fielding Red Conception 2009
A blend of Merlot (47 per cent), Syrah (15), Pinot Noir (14) and 12 each of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Lighter in body and structure than the previous Cabernet-Syrah.
Dark red in the glass.
Spicy, smoky on the nose.
Medium weight, spicy, cherry, red licorice, juicy, drying and tannic toward the end.
Drying on the finish.
Bodegas Hermanos Laredo Gran Reserva 1998 Rioja
Brownish tinges on the rim of the glass.
Chocolate, earthy, barnyard, Christmas cake spices on the nose.
Medium weight, drying, a little maderized, cherry, plum, spicy.
Very drying, tannic in the mouth.
Le Cigare Volant 2006
California
Bonny Doon Vineyard
A blend of Syrah (43.6 per cent), Grenache (43.5), Cinsault (11.7), Mourvedre (1.1) and Carignan (.1).
Very dark purple in the glass.
Barnyard and smoke on the huge nose.
Very big, fruit forward, cherry, raspberry, earthy. barnyard, rich, lightly tannic, drying.
Very drying on the finish.
Domaine Du Haut Des Terres Blanches Chateauneuf-Du-Pape 2007
Barnyard, spicy, Christmas cake and a little sharp on the nose.
Christmas cake, coffee, chocolate, cherry, very spicy, rich and drying.
Belle Glos Meiomi Pinot Noir 2009
Sonoma Valley/Monterey County/Santa Barbara County
Very dark in the glass.
Very spicy, smoky, herbs and incredibly rich on the nose.
Cherry, raspberry, red licorice, smoky, spicy.
An amazing wine.
Tignanello 2005
IGT Toscana, Estate Btld.
Antinori
Very dark in the glass.
Mushrom, earth, leather, forest floor on the nose.
Very rich and thick in the mouth, black cherry, drying. I know this will sound odd but it tastes aged, the way an old house smells old. Can't describe it better than that.
Leather and wood on the finish.