Alec Saunders SquawkBox

Last year at this time we packed our kids off to camp for a week, and took a quick trip to the newest wine growing region in Ontario, Prince Edward County.  It was so successful that this year we did a repeat, spending three fabulous days in the Niagara Region visiting a selection of the 70 or so wineries that can be found on the Beamsville Bench and in and around Niagara-on-the-Lake. 

We made the trip to wine country Tuesday morning.  Arriving around lunch time, we went in search of food first.  Our first stop was the Grand Dame of Niagara wineries, the Chateau des Charmes.  Impressive chateau, but unfortunately no restaurant. Tummies were rumbling. We decided to move on and return to Chateau des Charmes another time.

We settled on Hillebrand's newly renovated Trius winery, and their acclaimed restaurant.  It didn't disappoint. 

Trius Brut sparkling wine accompanied a starter of fennel and spinach soup.   The main course was the chef's sampler consisting of a prosciutto wrapped chicken dish, a small piece of grilled salmon, and a generous "Trius Red burger" — a miniature hamburger, drenched in caramelized onions.  A flight of Trius barrel-fermented Chardonnay, Dry Riesling, and the Trius Red accompanied it. 

And finally, desert — a granita of Trius Vidal Icewine, a strawberry tart, and strawberry rhubarb creme brulee, complimented by Trius' stunning Showcase Cabernet Franc Icewine.

 

Our picks: the Trius Brut, Showcase Icewine, and Trius Red.  The barrel-fermented Chardonnay was too heavily oaked for our tastes, and the Dry Riesling, while delicious, was not a standout.

From there we went to one of the oldest wineries in the region, Inniskillin.  Known primarily for their icewines, Inniskillin makes a variety of table wines as well. Because Inniskillin wines are so widely available, coupled with the fact that their tasters were so expensive ($25 for a flight of four icewines!), we did not stay for long. 

Our picks at Inniskillin: their well priced 2006 Late Autumn Riesling, and the 2005 Vidal icewine.  

Our next stop was Peller Estates.  Peller Estates is owned by Andres Wines, and is the sister winery to Hillebrand Trius, Thirty Bench, and a number of other personal favorites.  However, I cannot recommend it.  The place was overwhelmed by a bus tour, the staff overworked and their high end wines apparently absent from the tasting room.  The red wines we tasted were atrociously tannic.  Our picks: the Private Reserve 2006 Pinot Gris, and 2005 Dry Riesling.

Strewn was a striking contrast to Peller.  Not a big name, it occupies an unassuming site housing a tasting room, boutique, restaurant and cooking school.  Their three lines of wines are labelled Terroir, Strewn and Two Vines.  Terroir are their premium wines and Two Vines their introductory line. In the tasting room Terroir wines are 3 samples for $5, while the Strewn and Two Vines wines are 50 cents each per taste. No $25 flights here.

Our host at Strewn was superb.   We tasted a selection of reds and whites, including both a dry and an off-dry riesling, meritage, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, sauvignon blanc, their flagship Strewn Three, and more.  Our picks: the 2005 Strewn Terroir Cabernet Franc, 2004 Strewn Terroir Riesling, 2005 Strewn Terroir "Strewn Three" (a meritage), 2006 Strewn Terroir Sauvignon Blanc, and 2005 Strewn Off-Dry Riesling. 

Strewn is highly recommended, both for the quality of their products, and the experience that their knowledgeable, friendly and enthusiastic staff provide.

Our last stop of the day was Jackson-Triggs.  Starting with the concierge who greets you as you enter their "great hall", Jackson-Triggs ultra-modern winery and tasting room is a great visit.  Whether sitting on the leather sofa in the breezeway between the winery and the tasting room admiring the view of the vineyard, or chatting with the staff in the tasting room, it's a welcoming and friendly environment. 

Naturally, we tasted a wide selection of wines.  Ultimately we left with:

• a mixed case including the Delaine Vineyard 2005 Pinot Noir, Delaine Vineyard 2005 Syrah, Delaine Vineyward 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, Proprietors Grand Reserve 2006 White  Meritage, and Proprietors Grand Reserve 2004 Riesling Icewine. 
• a membership in the Jackson-Triggs wine club.
• a fistful of recommendations about other wineries to visit.

That's salesmanship.

That evening we checked-in to our rooms at the SkyeHaven bed and breakast.  This circa 1787 home in the historic part of Niagara-on-the-Lake is a short walk from the downtown shops, restaurants, and theatres.  Proprietors David and Sandra McAslan are a generous, energetic and welcoming retired couple who host guests with great service and food at a very inexpensive $125 per night.  We rented the Blue Room, an expansive and comfortable period bedroom with an ensuite bath. 

Dinner that night was in the lounge at the Pillar and Post Inn, a block from SkyeHaven.  Forewarned by David about the size of the Pillar and Post's meals, we opted to order a salad and fish and chips to share.  It was ample. The bar staff was friendly, offering advice on where to find great Pinot Noir in Niagara, a nice martini menu, and a welcoming atmosphere. 

Wednesday

The next day we headed out to the wineries in the Beamsville Bench area, a 30 minute drive from Niagara-on-the-Lake.  The Beamsville Bench is a steeply sloped area, with limestone / clay soil perfect for Riesling. 

Henry of Pelham is a winery off the beaten track and best known for its wines made from the Baco Noir grape.  We didn't taste any of the Baco Noir wines, as they are commonly available at the liquor store near us.  We did try a variety of wines, including their 2005 Pinot Noir, Cuvee Catharine Rose Brut, and several others.  Our picks: the 2006 Off Dry Reserve Riesling, and the very fine 2005 Botrytis Affected Late Harvest Riesling. Both were great value at reasonable prices.

Cave Spring Vineyards tasting room and shop is conveniently located adjacent to the Inn on the Twenty restaurant, in Jordan, where we had lunch reservations.   Cave Spring's shop was a winery boutique as opposed to a simple tasting room.  With products ranging from wine, to glasses, to picnic sets, books, gourmet foods, and artisanal breads, it had something for everyone.

We tried a variety of Cave Spring wines. Our picks were the 2005 Pinot Noir, 2005 Select Late Harvest Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003 Estate Bottled CSV Chardonnay,  and 2005 Estate Bottled CSV Riesling. 

Lunch at Inn on the Twenty next door was fabulous.  The accolades it receives are well deserved.  The dining room is gorgeous, overlooking gardens and ravines.  The service is excellent, and the ambience fabulous. 

I had the soup of the day, which was an asparagus soup with creme fraiche.  Janice had the simple salad.  For the main course we each had smoked Berkshire Pork Loin with spinach and chorizo polenta and rhubarb confit.  Our server suggested the Cave Springs 2006 Estate Bottled Gewurtztraminer to accompany the pork.  Not big fans of gewurtztraminer, we nevertheless gave it a try. The floral acidity of the gewurtz was a perfect accompaniment to the sweet / salt / spice of the pork and spicy polenta. It was a wonderful balance.  The pairing suggested by our server is the hallmark of both a talented chef and a superb wait staff.  At a great restaurant you want to have your ideas about food challenged and surpassed.  Inn on the Twenty did just that.

Following our meal, we headed back to the Cave Springs shop, and bought some of the 2006 Estate Bottled Gewurtztraminer. 

We tumbled out of Inn on the Twenty and spent a few minutes in the shops in Jordan (many many many… and lots of fun!) and then zipped off to the Beamsville Bench proper. 

Malivoire is a favorite Canadian winery.  For several years, we have stocked Malivoire Moira Vineyard Chardonnay in our own small cellar. This wine, a staple of the Rideau Hall wine cellar, is a fabulous and opulent chardonnay with exactly the right amount of oak.  Needless to say, Malivoire was one of the most anticipated tasting rooms of the trip for us.

The Malivoire tasting room is spare, with no restaurant or boutique. It's all about the wine.  Our host, Eric,  walked us through a suite of wines, along the way explaining owner Martin Malivoire's philosophy with respect to the vineyard and winemaking.

Our picks: the Courtney Gamay 2005 (a completely different take on Gamay, which is a grape I ordinarily don't like), Estate Bottled Pinot Noir 2004, and 2006 Pinot Gris. In addition, I can heartily recommend their Chardonnays, and wonderful Ladybug Rose, which we have drunk on numerous occasions. 

Thirty Bench, just down the road, was the other highly anticipated vineyard of the trip, and it didn't disappoint.  Alex, our host, gave us a short tour of the winery, including vats, barrels, and vines. Then it was off to the tasting room.

Of all the hosts we experienced in Niagara, Alex at Thirty Bench was easily the best.  Our tasting and tour was done with just one other couple. Alex walked us around the vineyard, briefly, and explained the characteristics of their three vineyards.  He also did an excellent job of explaining the advantages of the  small batch / oak fermenter approach they use versus the large steel vat.  And finally, at the small bar where Alex guided us through the tasting, he worked hard to educate us on the wine itself.  For example, when I commented that the Pinot Noir was tight, he poured three glasses: straight out of the bottle, aerated, and aerated and in a burgundy glass, to show how the wine opens up over time, and how the correct stemware can improve the experience of the wine.

Our picks: the 1995 merlot (wonderful!), the 2003 Pinot Noir, and the "Triangle Vineyard" 2006 Riesling. 

Further up Mountainview Road from Thirty Bench are the De Sousa and Fielding Estates wineries.  De Sousa is a Portuguese style winery.  While their table wines weren't notable, they do make a nice port. At Fielding we arrived late in the day, and perhaps it was simply that we were tired, but after trying several wines we left.  We've heard good things about the winery in the past, however, and will likely return.

Later that evening, we walked over to the Festival Theater from SkyeHaven and took in Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan.  It was a great production, and a breath of fresh air after some of the duds we've seen recently at the NAC in Ottawa.  

Thursday

After breakfast we did a small driving tour around Niagara-on-the-Lake.  Niagara-on-the-Lake is a pretty Victorian town, full of shops and inns, and of course home to the Shaw Festival. It's also home to Fort George, built at the mouth of the Niagara river to guard Canada from U.S. invaders after the British were forced to cede Fort Niagara to the Americans following Jay's Treaty.  The photograph below shows Fort Niagara in NY State, taken from Queen's Royal Park in Niagara-on-the-Lake.  

Later we stopped at Lailey Vineyards on the Niagara Parkway.  A small winery, Lailey was one of the pioneers of the Canadian wine industry, and owns some of the oldest vines in Niagara. We tasted their 2006 Unoaked Chardonnay, 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, and 2004 Canadian Oaked Chardonnay, as well as a their 2005 Zweigelt, 2005 Pinot Noir, and 2004 Cabernet Franc.  Lailey's use of Canadian oak, rather than the more common French and American oaks is intriguing.  It's a more subtle wood flavor than the American oak, but with some of the same spicy characteristics.

Our picks: 2006 Unoaked Chardonnay (deliciously fruity with crisp acidity), and the 2004 Cabernet Franc.  While the Canadian Oak Chardonnay was intriguing, and a well made wine, neither of us are big fans of oak fermented chardonnay.  For those who like a more buttery and oaky chardonnay, it might be just the ticket, however. 

Like Lailey, Marynissen Estates has been farming vinifera grapes in Niagara since the 1970's.  In fact, John Marynissen was the first grower to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in the Niagara region in 1978. Marynissen also gained some notoriety as suppliers of wine to the Rolling Stones on their tour last year, shipping a total of 10 cases to the band.  We tasted a 2002 Merlot, 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, and a 2002 Cabernet / Merlot.  The merlot had an unusual tomato flavor, which was quite suprising.  Our pick: the well priced 2002 Cabernet/Merlot.

Stratus is a complete contrast to Marynissen and Lailey.  An ultra-modern, environmentally friendly building houses a chic tasting room and boutique selling everything from wine, to books, oil and Baccarat stemware.

 

Unlike many wineries that focus on creating wines around specific varietal grapes, Stratus' philosophy is that the best wines are assemblages (a fancy french word for a blend).  We were unable to taste the 2004 Stratus White (sold out), but did taste their 2006 Riesling, which was delicious but pricey at $35/bottle.  We also tasted the 2003 Cabernet Franc, and the 2004 Stratus Red.  The Red is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah! Smooth, complex, and balanced with soft tannins, this wine blew me away. It was easily the best wine of the trip.  Our picks: the 2004 Stratus Red, and the 2003 Cabernet Franc. Other Stratus made wines are also available under the more moderately priced Wild Ass label.

Coyote's Run is known for its award winning Pinot Noir.  We tasted a variety of wines from their wine list, including their 2005 Pinot Noir, 2006 Pinot Gris, 2004 Riesling, 2005 Meritage and 2004 Bob Izumi Red.  The Pinot Noir didn't have the blousey fruit expressed in the wine that is characteristic of West Coast Pinot Noir.  It was more reserved, or perhaps burgundian.  It did, however,  have a wonderful nose and a smooth finish. Our picks: the Coyote's Run 2005 Pinot Noir, and 2004 Bob Izumi Red.

Perhaps it was just bad luck, but we hit Chateau des Charmes hungry again.  As it was our last chance to visit the winery we did, tasting a selection of their red and white wines, including their Gamay Noir "Droit".  This unique grape was discovered by des Charmes owner Paul Bosc.  It ripens later than typical for Gamay Noir, producing a richer and plummier wine.  Overall, though, Chateau des Charmes was disappointing.  The wines, while mostly well made, did not really stand out compared to other wineries we had been to.  Or… perhaps we were just hungry. Our pick: the 2006 St. David's Bench Viognier. 

After a quick lunch, we headed back to the Beamsville Bench area to visit the spectacularly situated Angels Gate winery.  High on the Bench it overlooks Lake Ontario, and on a clear day one can see all the way to Toronto, 35 miles away.  In the photograph below, you can see the sun shining on the tip of the CN Tower, and make out the white dome of the SkyDome Rogers Centre beside it.

 

At Angels Gate we tasted a variety of their wines, including the 2006 SussReserve Riesling, 2006 Riesling, 2004 Old Vines Chardonnay, 2004 Angels III Meritage, and 2004 Snow Angel Late Harvest Cabernet.  The SussReserve Riesling is a Riesling sweetened with a portion of unfermented juice.  It didn't appeal to us, however.  Our picks were the 2004 Old Vines Chardonnay, and the 2004 Snow Angel.  In particular, the Snow Angel had a wonderful strawberry character that would make it a good desert wine, or an accompaniment to pate, foie gras, or duck confit.

From Angels we intended to simply head out to the highway and up to Toronto.  As luck would have it, though, we passed the Peninsula Ridge winery on the way.  After stopping to take a photograph of this pretty property, it seemed impolite to not pay a visit…

The Peninsula Ridge tasting room offers both wine and artesanal cheese, which was a nice touch.  We tasted the 2006 Wismer Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, 2001 Equinox (chardonnay / sauvignon blanc), 2005 INOX Chardonnay, 2001 Arcanum ( a meritage with Syrah added) and 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.  Neither of the blends were impressive, however the 2006 Wismer Sauvignon Blanc was delicious and balanced with plenty of both fruit and acid.  And the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon turned out to be a very special wine — easily the best Cabernet we tasted the entire trip, with a great nose, and true expression of Cabernet's cassis flavour on the palate.  Our picks: the 2006 Wismer Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, and the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.

And then it was off to Toronto to have dinner with a friend and stay the night.  We ate at Jamie Kennedy's wine bar, which offers wine and tapas.  While the food and wine were delicious, the portions (of both) were tiny and pricey.  After eating and drinking so well for the previous three days, Kennedy's was a bit of a sticker-shock. 

Friday

The next morning we set off for home, taking a side trip through Kleinburg to see the McMichael Gallery's collection of Group of Seven paintings.  The gallery is small, and most of the paintings exhibited are sketches rather than finished works, but it's still worth a visit if you have an interest in the Group of Seven. 

We lunched in Kleinburg at the Chartreuse Restaurant / Longchamps Pub.  Generous portions, good food and service, priced well.  Then we set out for home on the scenic route through Algonquin Park.  It's a little longer than riding the Trans Canada highway 401 home, but a whole lot prettier.  Besides, after having seen the paintings of the Group of Seven, what better way to finish the day than to experience the landscape they painted?  The drive through the park was beautiful.

On the eastern edge of Algonquin Park lies the village of Wilno, Canada's oldest polish settlement.  As you drive up the hill out of the village, the beautiful church of St. Mary's Wilno sits on the hillside overlooking the Ottawa Valley.  It was spectacularly illuminated by the late day sun, and framed by a backdrop of dark clouds as we passed it by. Click the photograph to see it full sized…

Winery Resources

Most of the wines we tasted are simply not available at your shop, not even here in Ontario.  Getting them can be problematic.  There are really only a few ways to buy them:

1. Direct from the Winery.  Many wineries will ship, and some will do so in lots smaller than one case. Some will even ship to US destinations. A word of caution – don't order case lots of wine that you haven't tasted.  Quality can vary dramatically.
2. WineryToHome.com.  This service ships Ontario wines to Ontario customers.  Over 400 wines from 30 wineries are represented.  Unfortunately, because of outdated laws, it cannot ship wines outside of Ontario. 
3. LCBO Vintages.  Vintages sometimes stocks a selection of Ontario wines as part of their releases.  This is the way I've been able to buy Malivoire Moira Chardonnay in the past.   

The kids are away at camp, so Janice and I took an opportunity this weekend to visit Prince Edward County, a new wine growing region in Ontario.  It’s a couple of hours drive from our house, on the north side of Lake Ontario, and is known primarily for cool climate reds like pinot noir, and whites like riesling and chardonnay.  Set on the Bay of Quinte, Prince Edward County is full of little coves, beaches (including the well known Sandbanks Park), shops and B&B’s.  While there is a lot to do, it’s also small enough that with a couple of days you can have a satisfying visit and cover quite a bit of ground.

Our first stop was Huff Estates, where we ate lunch (a beautiful gazpacho, accompanied by open-faced smoked salmon sandwiches). We tried their chardonnay, a wine called “lightbox” chardonnay, a rosé and several red bordeaux style wines made from cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc.  Their reisling was sold out. The chardonnay was a beautiful, balanced wine, which has just won best chardonnay in Ontario.  The rosé an easy drinking sipper, with a blast of strawberry on the nose. We picked up a few bottles of the chardonnay and rosé, but passed on all the reds.

Leaving Huff, we pulled into the The Grange of Prince Edward County next.  We didn’t stay long.  We were on a hunt for pinot noir, and they didn’t have any.  They were pouring a riesling, pinot gris, and rosé only.  The lack of pinot noir, it turns out, was widespread. 

Next was Clossen Family Vineyards.  Clossen makes pinot noir, riesling and chardonnay, but the only wine available was the chardonnay.  The pinot, with just 75 cases made, sold out almost immediately. We could only taste the chardonnay, which was a very drinkable fruit forward wine.  We also bought some of this wine, and learned that the pinot may be available at the Beckta restaurant in Ottawa.

Toward the western side of the county we paid a visit to the Norman Hardie, Carmela Estates, and Rosehall wineries.  Hardie is also the winemaker at Carmela Estates.  Hardie was only pouring his riesling, as (familiar story) the pinot was sold out.  The riesling was excellent (we bought some), and he was gracious enough to make us a reservation at the Carriage House restaurant in Bloomfield where we could try the pinot.  At Carmela Estates we picked up a couple of bottles of their pinot noir.  It’s a tasty light wine, drinkable now.  At the Rosehall winery we bought pinot too, but it was quite different, with an overabundance of oak that we hope will settle with age.  Rosehall also poured a white called “Sullyzwicker” — 94% ehrenfelser, 6% gewurtraminer — a fruity, semi-sweet wine that I imagine will go well with Asian food. We bought a couple of bottles to try.

Heading south, the road hugs the shore of Lake Ontario, sometimes high on bluffs overlooking the water, and sometimes dipping down to a beach or cove.  It’s a picturesque trip.  Along the way we visited the Sandbanks Estates winery, where we bought some of their cabernet franc and a cabernet franc rosé.  We also tried their baco noir, which I sometimes like.  Baco noir is an easy grape to do a poor job with, and most wineries do just that.  Sandbanks was, unfortunately, no exception.

By Chadsey’s Cairns is a very interesting winery, which includes a 160 year old loyalist cemetary.  They have quite a selection of wines, including three vintages of riesling.  We bought the 2003 vintage - smooth, drinkable, with a beautiful nose. 

Following the shoreline into Bloomfield, we stopped at Slicker’s for ice cream (fresh, made daily!), and Carruthers Chocolates for coffee.  Mmmmm….

By then it was nearly 4:00 PM.  Still, we managed one last winery visit to the Black Prince Winery.  These folks had a large selection of wines also.  We tasted quite a few, and in the end settled on several bottles of their cabernet franc, plus a pure pinot noir rosé with an incredible nose.  Again, the baco noir was a disappointment.

Checking in at the Brown’s Manor bed and breakfast, we got a change of clothes and visited with owner Leslie over a glass of Black Prince chardonnay, and local cheese. Brown’s Manor is a stunning c. 1900 period home converted to an elegant B&D. Our room was a beautifully renovated attic room with sloping ceilings and wood floors.  Reasonably priced, too, if you’re planning to head to Picton.

Leslie called us a cab back to Bloomfield, where we had dinner reservations at the Carriage House, which Norman Hardie had so kindly arranged.  Naturally, we ordered a bottle of the Norman Hardie 2004 pinot noir, since it had been impossible to try at the winery.  Tony Aspler called this wine “a poet’s wine”, and it didn’t disappoint.  It’s probably the best Ontario red I’ve ever had, and comparable to other great pinot noir I’ve had from France, California, and Oregon.  For starters, Janice had the house salad, and I had crepes with strawberry compote, and pan seared foie gras.  Yum! Janice’s main course was a beautiful combination of grilled, and thinly sliced duck breast, while I had a tasty venison and mushrooms dish.  The most disappointing thing about the meal was the somewhat gluey strawberry / rhubarb crumble for desert.  A glass of Waupoos ice cider (imagine icewine, made from apples) took my mind off the state of the desert in relatively short order, however.

Back at Brown’s Manor, the next morning, we had a lovely breakfast, and hit the road for more food and wine!

The first stop was the Black River Cheese Company, where a variety of cheddars and other cheeses are made.  We bought the onion sage cheddar, and pepper jack cheeses.  Their aged cheddar, however, we took a pass on, judging Perth’s Balderson cheese better.  The Black River cheese was delicious. Unfortunately, Balderson’s, which is the best cheddar I’ve ever tasted, is close to home.

Next on our tour was the Long Dog Winery, named after the owners’ affection for wirehaired dachsunds.  After a noisy greeting by dachsund Bella we had an opportunity to taste Long Dog’s pinot gris, chardonnay, and 2003 and 2004 vintages of pinot noir.  The secret ingredient in the pinot gris is 15% pinot noir, which gives the wine a wonderful finish, and a much deeper taste.  We took some of this gem home, but passed on the Bella Reserve chardonnay. We also took home some of the promising, but young 2004 pinot noir.  On the advice of the winery, we won’t be opening it until Christmas 2007.

From Long Dog, we headed to Waupoos Estates, one of the original Prince Edward County wineries.  Set on the shoreline of the Bay of Quinte, the vines roll down to the lake, giving the winery a fabulous view of the water.  Waupoos has a large selection of wines, and we tasted quite a number of them.  We settled on the riesling and baco noir.  The riesling has a fruity nose, with a blast of green apple on the tongue, while the baco was nicely balanced, with plenty of fruit and not too much of the smokiness that baco is known for.

After visiting Waupoos Estates it was lunch time.  A short distance from Waupoos Estates we found the Waupoos County Cider company, where we stopped to buy cider, and have lunch.  Set high on a hill over the bay, you can have a sandwich, and a beer or a cider, and just chill out in the sun.  I had chorizo sausage, and Janice had a goat cheese and grilled vegetable wrap.

And then it was the Glenora Ferry, and home to Ottawa. 

We came away with three cases of wine, and will be drinking and enjoying these wines with friends and family for some time.  The best wines of the trip were Norman Hardie’s riesling and pinot noir, Long Dog’s pinot gris, and Huff’s chardonnay.  Generally, the cool climate grapes (whites and reds) turned out well, while wines made from Bordeaux grapes (merlot, cabernet sauvignon, and cabernet franc) were inferior products. 

Dinner tonight was roast pork loin, sweet potatoes, and a stir fried medley of vegetables.  The accompaniment: 2000 Palmer Alter-Ego.  This is their second growth wine, but many critics feel it’s of the same quality as the other Grand-Cru wines of Bordeaux.   It’s a gorgeous bottle.  It has a beautiful floral / fruit nose, with intense flavours of cassis, plum fruits, and a little pencil lead.  Long finish, with little to no heat.  I have two more of these, which I will be saving.

Following the main course we ate apple pie, a la mode, accompanied by Chateau des Charmes 1998 Late Harvest Riesling.  The acidity of the Riesling grape was a nice complement to the pie, but there was also enough sweet that it wasn’t overwhelmed.

It’s Thursday night.  Tonight is the night Janice paints, and when she comes home I’ve got a bottle of wine out.   It didn’t take much encouragement from a friend to dig out a nice bottle.  This is what we’re drinking – Ecole 41 Seven Hills Merlot, Walla Walla Appelation.  This Washington winery is one of my favorites. 

I knew the bottle would be heavily sedimented, so I decanted it first.  Also, experience with this wine has taught me that it needs time to open.  Waiting 15 to 20 minutes before the first taste pays rich rewards.

The nose is glorious.  Wood, berries, plums, maybe a little nutmeg and even a tiny bit of barnyard.  Chocolate, coffee, and rich fruits on the tongue.  Firm tannins, but not overpowering.  A little heat and spice and a glorious long long long finish.

Mark Evans wrote about Vintage Direct, a new online wine merchant in Ontario.

You’ve long been able to buy wines online in Ontario, from the local Ontario wineries, or the wine agents who supply the LCBO and restaurants.  Usually, it’s a minimum one case order, which makes the cost and risk prohibitive for most people.  For instance, a few years ago I ordered a couple of cases from a Niagara winery (a well known winery, which I will not name) that arrived with ladybug taint (that overpowering cracked pepper / green pepper nose and taste).  They were undrinkable, and I was understandably disappointed.

Being able to order smaller quantities is a real advantage, and not having to wait at the LCBO on Saturday morning of a major release is another huge advantage.  Vintage Direct looks like a great and much needed service for Ontario consumers, although I think the $200/year membership fee is a little steep.