Château des Charmes Vidal Icewine 2016
This is Icewine weather and one of the best Ontario Icewines I’ve sampled from last year’s vintage is Château des Charmes Vidal Icewine 2016. Old gold in colour, it has a rich, spicy bouquet of ripe tropical fruit and honey. Full-bodied, sweet and unctuous on the palate, flavours of mango, honey and caramel fill the palate, beautifully balanced with acidity that stops it from cloying. It costs $26.95 for a 200 mL bottle at Vintages outlets and is a dessert all by itself. That’s Château des Charmes Vidal Icewine 2016 from Ontario. For Post City Magazines, I’m Tony Aspler, 680 NEWS. ($26.95 for 200 mL, Vintages #565861) (93)

Tarapaca Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Argentina may have stolen some of Chile’s thunder these days, but I was mightily impressed by a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile’s Maipo Valley, currently at Vintages outlets for $17.95. It’s Tarapaca Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2014. Dense purple in colour, it has a cedary bouquet of blackcurrants with vanilla oak notes; medium to full-bodied, it’s dry with cassis and black plum flavours and an engaging sweetness of fruit in mid-palate, finishing firmly with zesty acidity. Try it with lamb dishes. That’s Tarapaca Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 from Chile. For Post City Magazines, I’m Tony Aspler, 680 NEWS. ($17.95, Vintages #18721) (90)