Muskoka Rose

Sunday, June 26th: Deborah and I drove up to Gravenhurst with Pinot T. Wonderdog to spend a couple of days with David and Elaine at their B&B on Pike Lake. Pinot, who usually barks the whole journey in the car, only did so intermittently, thank heaven. The B&B, named Muskoka Rose, has been voted the best in Mukoka. Pinot loves the water and was first in the lake.

Pinot T. at Muskoka Rose

I had brought up some wines for tasting:

• Saint-Aix Rosé 2015 (Coteaux d’Aix en Provence – $22.95): pale pink colour; a nose of yellow cherries; medium to full-bodied, dry and fruity with rhubarb and strawberry flavours. (88)
• Mission Hill Martin’s Lane Pinot Noir 2012 (Okanagan – $25): ruby colour; high-toned raspberry nose with earthy, charred oak notes; medium-bodied, spicy, sweet cherry flavour, broad and firm on the palate. (90)
• Mission Hill Martin’s Lane Pinot Noir 2013 (Okanagan – $25): a shade lighter ruby colour than the 2012; cedary, cherry nose; richly extracted, medium-bodied, dry and more in Burgundian style; medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, dry with a lovely mouth-feel and very elegant. (92)

Martin’s Lane Pinots

Monday, June 26th: An idyllic day, hot, blue sky. Tried fishing but only got one bite. Went into Gravenhurst and looked around antique shops. Had an ice cream, then back for dinner. Opened a bottle of Nobilo Icon Sauvignon Blanc 2015 (New Zealand – $24.95): pale straw colour; a nose of grapefruit and cut grass with passionfruit notes; medium-bodied, dry with richly extracted flavours of passionfruit and elderberries carried on lively lemony acidity. Great length. (91)

Tuesday, June 27th: Left the B&B after breakfast. Pinot was not as considerate on the way home, barking much of the way. Pasta for dinner with a bottle of Azienda Uggiano Prestige Chianti Classico 2015 (Tuscany – $16.95): purple colour; spicy plum, blackcurrant and cherry bouquet with oak notes; medium-bodied, dry, high-toned, old Chianti syle, beautifully balanced black fruit flavours with a floral grace note. Great value. (90)

Wednesday, June 28th: Catching up on emails this morning, then a 2 pm meeting with Sandy Kurbis to go over the Ontario Wine Awards presentation ceremony at Niagara College and the trade and consumer tasting at George Brown College. For dinner with chicken kebabs, Bodegas Piqueras Castillo de Almansa 2010 (Spain – $16.95): dense ruby-purple colour; earthy plum and blackcurrant nose; medium-bodied, dry, and well balanced. (89)

Thursday, June 29th: A meeting with Angela Aiello and the iYellow group for a post-mortem on the Ontario Wine Awards event and planning for next year. Then down to the Rogers Centre with my friend Frank to watch the Cleveland Indians win over the Blue Jays. Came home and to commiserate I opened a bottle of Zuccardi Q Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 (Mendoza, Argentina – $19.95): dense purple colour; earthy, spicy, black fruit nose with a cedary note; medium to full-bodied, dry and savoury with well integrated oak and balancing acidity. (89)

Friday, July 1st: Canada Day. Watched the marathon 19-inning Jays v. Cleveland Indians. Emotionally exhausted. There is a circle of hell reserved for the home plate umpire whose strike zone when Cleveland was pitching was as wide as the city. Did some tasting to calm down.

• Argento Pinot Grigio 2015 (Argentina): pale straw colour; spicy, vanilla oak masking fruit; medium-bodied, dry, white peach and lemon flavour; medium-bodied, crisply dry, white peach and lemon flavours with a minerally finish. Good length. (88.5)
• Château des Charmes Riesling 2012 (Ontario): very pale straw colour; spicy, lime and petrol with a honeyed note; light-bodied, off-dry, honey, grapefruit and lime flavours; good length with a mineral note. (90)
•  Argento Chardonnay 2015 (Argentina): medium straw colour; spicy, apple with a forest floor note on the nose; medium to full-bodied, sweet yellow apple and oak flavours with a lemony finish. Moderate length. (88)
• Chatelain Pouilly-Fumé Les Vignes 2014 (Loire): pale straw colour; fresh, grassy, green pepper and grapefruit nose; medium-bodied, dry, fresh and lively with elderberry and green fig flavours, beautifully balanced with great length. (91)
• Kim Crawford Small Parcels Spitfire Sauvignon Blanc 2015 Marlborough, New Zealand) – $24.95): pale straw colour; grassy, gooseberry and grapefruit rind nose; full-bodied, dry, rich mid-palate fruit – passionfruit and grapefruit flavours, finishing crisply with great length. (91)
• Château Haut Philippon 2014 (Entre Deux Mers): straw colour; white peach, citrus rind with a suggestion of oak on the nose; medium-bodied, crisply dry, grapefruit and gooseberry flavours with a light smoky note; good length. (89)
• Château des Charmes Chardonnay 2012 (Ontario): straw colour; apple, vanilla oak nose with a barnyard note; medium-bodied, dry, caramel, apple and citrus flavours with good length. (89)
• Santa Julia Chardonnay 2014 (Argentina): medium straw colour; spicy, apple with a barnyard note; medium-bodied, apple and pear flavours with a touch of oak; full-bodied, nicely balanced, sweetish apple with a touch of bitterness on the finish. (88)
• Ghost Pines Chardonnay 2014 (Monterey, Napa, Sonoma): straw colour; smoky, oaky, spicy, apple nose with a touch of barnyard; full-bodied, sweetish, smoky apple flavour. (88)
• Tom Gore Vineyards Chardonnay 2014 (California): straw colour; toasty, spicy, ripe apple and vanilla oak with a note of forest floor on the nose; medium to full-bodied, creamy, toasty, red apple flavour, quite intense and spicy. (89)
• Charles Baker Riesling 2015 (Ontario – $27): very pale colour; minerally, citrus and, pear nose with a honeyed note; light-bodied, off-dry, minerally, apple, pear and citrus flavours, beautifully balanced. Lovely mouth-feel with a lime and honey finish. The best Charles Baker yet. (91.5)
• Stratus Wildass Rosé 2015 (Ontario): pink with a blue tint; watermelon nose; medium-bodied, dry, watermelon and yellow cherry flavours, some sweetness in mid-palate; touch of bitterness to give the wine interest, with a fresh acidic finish. (88.5)

Top-scoring wines on Canada Day