2020 Cave Spring Cabernet Franc Dolomite, Canada, Ontario, Niagara, Beamsville Bench, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

From one of the best producers in Niagara, Cabernet Franc is proving to be a red well within Niagara's wheelhouse.  This has a deep ruby color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cranberries and cherries along with a bit of an herbal streak.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, cranberries, cherries and slight black cherries along with some tobacco and a bit of mint(?).  Good finish.  This is drinking well now and should drink well for another five to eight years.  Nice on its own, this will also work well with foods.  This would be a nice wine to drink with Lebanese food such as Kafta.  

1999 Inniskillin Cabernet Franc Icewine, Canada, Ontario, Niagara, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1999
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$58.00USD

From a 375ml bottle.  Interesting wine.  Kind of a deep pink with some ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has strawberries, a bit of tomato, and slight honey note.  Medium bodied but viscous.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet.  Flavors of raspberries with slight herbal quality (Chervil?).  Moderate finish.  It is showing its age but still has plenty of life.  Still, probably best to drink sooner than later while is still has some vibrancy.  It would work with a plain cake such as sponge cake, nicely.  

2013 G. Marquis Riesling Icewine, Canada, Niagara, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

This is a dessert wine from the Niagara peninsula in Ontario, Canada.  Golden in color.  Clear and bright.  The nose has pears, simple syrup, some red apples.  Medium bodied but slightly viscous.  On the palate, this is sweet, not cloying.  It is a round wine with pears, slight honey and slight minerality.  Tasty.  Long finish.  This should last for a while longer (five to seven years?), but it won't get better.  It drinks very well on its own and would work nicely with a honey cake or other not too sweet dessert.  

2008 Peller Estates Cabernet Franc Icewine, Canada, Niagara, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2008
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

This wine was from a 50ml screw capped bottle.  I don't know where it came from, but it had been sitting in the door of our kitchen fridge for a decade and finally, I decided that we needed the room.  :-)  It actually showed quite well.  It had a ruby/orange color to it, clear and bright.  The nose was interesting with candied cherries and a slight medicinal quality to it.  On the palate, this is viscous.  Sweet cherries with a bit our a sour candy too.  Slight depth.  Long finish.  A little (which is all we had), went a long way.  This would be a tough food match but maybe a small piece of

2015 Tzafona Cellars Chardonnay Unoaked Niagara Peninsula VQA, Canada, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
87
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$19.00USD

This was my first time trying this winery.  Tzafona is a Hebrew word for going north.  It is a kosher wine.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  Surprisingly deep color for an unoaked Chard.  Perhaps it is starting to oxidize a bit from age.  The nose is nice with slight pineapple and a slightly buttery and slightly oxidized scent.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  It has some crispness to it.  Notes of grapefruit and some butter.    Solid finish.  Over all a nice wine and very interesting.  It is already five years old, and should probably be consumed within the next few years.

2016 Henry of Pelham Baco Noir Speck Family Reserve, Canada, Niagara, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

Purple in color with ruby swirls.  The nose is dusty warm with plums and red berries.  On the palate, there is a nice chocolate dust quality to this along with some plums and black cherries.  Tart acidity which works well (almost in a Barbera way).  Some firm tannins.  This wine is quite food friendly and while different, certainly it would please most tastes.  $23 is a nice value for this wine.  A few steps up from the basic level Baco Noir they make and about the same pricing.

2016 13th Street Gamay Noir, Canada, Niagara, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+

Deep ruby/purple in color.  Bright.  The nose is dusty and slightly horsey with red berries.  On the palate, plums and cherries.  Still a lot of tannins.  This wine could pass for Clos de la Roilette, one of the better Beaujolais producers.  Whether it improves in the cellar is a question, but it is drinking quite well right now.  Would work with a lot of foods including heartier fare as well.  $17.  

2017 Henry of Pelham Riesling, Canada, Niagara, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

Pale silvery/gold in color.  The nose has slight, slight, petrol and along with slight pineapple and with air, minerals.  On the palate, it seems more about grapefruit with an underlying minerality.  This is mostly dry but there is some sweetness especially on the finish.  Long finish.  This would be great with food.  Another superb value from this winery at $13.  A reasonably unique expression of Riesling but close in style to the Finger Lakes.  It will be interesting to see how well this ages.  

2016 Henry of Pelham Sauvignon Blanc, Canada, Niagara, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+

Light golden in color.  The nose is grassy like a California Sauvignon Blanc from 20 years ago.  Also a bit of orange peel.  Cleaner on the palate with the orange peel coming thru along with some slight tropical fruit.  Full, slightly oily texture.  Good acidity.  Very good finish.  Lot's of value here at $13 especially for people (and there are a lot) who like this style of Sauvignon Blanc. 

2015 Henry of Pelham Chardonnay, Canada, Niagara, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
87
Grade: 
B+

Green/gold in color.  The nose is dusty with vanilla and slight lumber and slight grapefruit.  A nice oily texture.  On the palate there is lemon and grapefruit notes.  It could use a bit more acidity to make it more food friendly.  A nice slight red apple note on the reasonably long finish.  There is a bit of a sweet note at the very end that is a bit sticky.  Probably should be drink in the next few years.  All said, though, this is really an excellent value for a $13 Chardonnay.  It is interesting and easy to drink at the same time.  You could certainly pay a lot more for a Chardonnay th

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