Monday, June 6th: Wrote up my 680News wine reviews and did the banking. Selected wines for a Spanish tasting at Hola later this year and then got down to some tasting.

• Jackson-Triggs Sparkling Chardonnay Musqué 2014 (Ontario – Charmat process): very pale colour; apple and apple blossom nose; sweetish in Moscato d’Asti style; easy drinking, orange and cardamom flavours that sustain well on the palate. 8.5% alcohol. A good summer sipper. (88)
• Jackson-Triggs Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (Niagara Peninsula): pale straw colour; grassy, minerally, greengage nose; dry, medium-bodied, tart, green plum flavour. Some bitterness on the finish. (86)
• Inniskillin Klose Vineyard Riesling 2014 (Niagara River): very pale lime colour; minerally, citrus nose; off-dry, honey and lime flavours; good texture with a zesty finish. (88)
• Inniskillin Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc Discovery Series 2014 (Niagara Peninsula): pale straw colour; evident oak almost masking a grassy, green plum nose; green bean and gooseberry flavours; round in the mouth; well extracted green fruit flavours. (88)
• Inniskillin Reserve Pinot Gris 2013 (Niagara Peninsula): pale straw colour; minerally, peach pit bouquet; dry, medium-bodied, soft mouth feel with a white peach flavour prolonged with a good acidic spine. (88+)
• Flat Rock Good Kharma Chardonnay 2013 (Twenty Mile Bench): pale lemon yellow colour; fresh sweet corn and apple nose; off-dry with a nutty, apple and orange flavour and toasty finish; good length. (88)
• Flat Rock Chardonnay 2012 (Twenty Mile Bench): pale straw with lime tint; apple with a hint of oak on the nose; medium-bodied, dry, apple and citrus flavours; well balanced and long on finish. (89)
• Flat Rock The Rusty Shed Chardonnay 2012 (Twenty Mile Bench): pale straw colour with a lime tint: apple, subtle oak nuances and developing barnyard notes; medium-bodied, dry, well balanced, lovely mouth feel with great length. A terrific Ontario Chardonnay, seamless in the mouth. (90)
• Gérard Bertrand Gris Blanc 2014 (Pays d’Oc – $16.95): flesh pink in colour; minerally, nectarine nose; dry, aromatic, peachy-nectarine flavour with watermelon notes, medium-bodied, dry with good length. (88)
• Citra Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo 2014 (Abruzzo, Italy – $8.45): orange-pink colour; orange and watermelon nose; dry, medium-bodied, fruity and fresh. (87)
• Rosewood Origin Series Merlot 2012 (Beamsville Bench, Ontario): deep ruby with a mature rim; earthy, plum nose with a whiff of oak; medium-bodied, richly extracted plum and blueberry flavours. Soft mouth feel. (87+)
• Jackson-Triggs Red Meritage 2012 (Niagara Peninsula): dense ruby-purple colour; cedar, blackcurrant with a toasty oak note on the nose; medium to full-bodied with a good mouth-feel, dry and firmly structured with tightly woven flavours of blackcurrant, cranberry and vanilla oak. (89)

Tuesday, June 7th: A 10 am dental appointment for a teeth cleaning. At 11 am Christian Kokkinomagoulos, export manager of Andrea da Ponte, came to the condo with his proseccos and grappas to taste:

• Don Giovanni da Ponte Prosecco Superiore 2013: pale straw colour; light floral nose with peach and mineral notes; soft mouth feel with just a touch of sweetness with a lingering finish. (89)
• Andrea Da Ponte Uve Bianche Malvasia Chardonnay: sweetish and round on the palate; clean pear and apple flavours. (89)
• Andrea Da Ponte Uve Bianche Fior d’Arancio: orange peel nose, aromatic, orange blossom flavours; long finish. (91)
• Andrea Da Ponte Grappa do Prosseco Unica (aged 10 years in Limousin oak): old gold colour; high toned, vanilla, honey, rancio nose; sweet (reminiscent of Irish whiskey!); beautifully balanced. (92)
• Andrea Da Ponte Vecchia Grappa of Prosecco (a blend of 8 years): old gold colour; honey, dried peach; sweetish, rich and powerful, with a long clean oaky finish. (90)

In the afternoon tasted more wines:

• Laurent Miguel Père & Fils Unoaked Chardonnay 2013 (Pays d’Oc): very pale colour; citrus and apple nose; medium-bodied, crisply dry, apple skin flavour. (86+)
• Joie Farm Pinot Blanc 2014 (Okanagan Valley): straw colour; peachy nose with a mineral note medium-bodied, pear, peach and peach pit flavours with a touch of sweetness in mid-palate. (89)
• Joie Farm Unoaked Chardonnay 2014 (Okanagan Valley): straw colour; leesy, apple nose, medium to full-bodied, dry, intense flavours of apple and green pineapple with lively citrus acidity. (89+)
• Wooing Tree Central Otago Pinot Noir 2010: deep ruby colour; high toned nose of black raspberry with vanilla oak; dry, lively red plum flavour with a touch of tannin on the finish. (88+)

Wednesday, July 8th: Recorded my 680News wine reviews and put together some wine books for a Rotary auction. Worked on material for Grapes for Humanity’s new website.

Thursday, July 9th: Sadie Darby came over to discuss the future venue for the Ontario Wine Awards judging. Our traditional spot was the basement of Crush wine bar/restaurant on King Street. Apparently, it’s been sold to Susur Lee and is being remodelled.

Friday, July 10th: A Vintages release tasting this morning; several Greek and Argentinian wines are coming out on July 25th.

Saturday, July 11th: Took Guy to the Centre Street Deli for lunch (best smoked meat in Ontario) then we watched the Jays beat Kansas City – so a perfect day. In the evening Deborah and I were invited to Gordon and Carole Stimmell’s for dinner. We brought dessert on the subway, an Angel cake Deborah would finish off in the Stimmell’s kitchen with Ontario strawberries and whipped cream. I found a half bottle of Colio Select Late Harvest Riesling 1998 in the cellar to go with it. Both were fantastic! The wine tasted like an old Tokaji, orange marmalade and barley sugar flavours.