Flat Rock The Rusty Shed Chardonnay 2019 (Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara, $32.95, LCBO #1552, winery exclusive)
Golden straw in colour; toasty, spicy, frilled peach nose, slightly reductive; medium to full-bodied, dry, richly extracted peach and lemon flavours tinged with oak spice; beautifully balanced; in Burgundian style. (91)
Flat Rock Pink Twisted 2020 (Niagara Peninsula, $17.95, LCBO #339974, to be released June 17th)
33% Gamay, 33% Riesling, 33% Gewurztraminer. Pink with a coppery tone; spicy, lightly floral, strawberry and lychee bouquet; medium-bodied, dry, cherry and lemon flavours with good length. (89)
Flat Rock Gravity Pinot Noir 2019 (Twenty Mile Bench, $39.95, LCBO #1560, winery exclusive, release date June 1st)
Bright ruby in colour; lifted raspberry nose with oak spice and a note of violets; medium-bodied, dry, raspberry and red plum flavours, lively acidity and well-integrated, judiciously used oak; again, Burgundian in style. (90)
Agnes & Didier Dauvissat Petit Chablis 2018 (Burgundy, $44.85, Vintages #909969)
Pale straw in colour; minerally, chalky nose of green apple and lemon; medium-bodied, dry, green apple and green peach flavours; well-balanced and crisply dry finish. (90)
Ca’ di Rajo Pinot Grigio 2019 (Venezie, $18.95, Vintages #561795)
Bright, pale straw colour; minerally, peach pit nose with a touch of spice; light to medium-bodied, dry, white peach flavour with a long, crisp finish. (89.5)
Ego Bodega El Goru 2019 (Jumilla, $12.95, Vintages #44395)
Monastrell, Syrah and Petit Verdot. Deep ruby-purple in colour.; toasty, vanilla, black raspberry on the nose with a oak spice; full-bodied, dry and savoury, black fruit flavours with a licorice note. (89)
Little Quino Sauvignon Blanc 2019 ((Malleco Valley, Chile, $15.95, Vintages #17609, release date June 12th)
Straw coloured; minerally, grassy, lemony nose with a light floral note; medium-bodied, crisply dry, green plum flavour with mouth-freshening acidity. Great length. (89)
Moillard Coquillage Chablis 2019 (Burgundy, $24.95, Vintages #10380, release date July 10th)
Pale straw in colour; minerally, green apple bouquet with a light floral note; light to medium-bodied, crisply dry, lemony, green apple flavour. Lovely mouth-feel and good length. (90)
Domaine de L’Aigle Limoux Chardonnay 2019 (Gérard Bertrand) (Limoux, $35.00, Vintages #377671, release date June 3rd)
Bright, straw colour; lightly spicy, minerally nose of apple with oak spice; exotic, mouth-filling peach and apple flavours with clove notes, great length and beautifully balanced. (90)
Henry of Pelham Speck Family Reserve Chardonnay 2019 (Short Hills Bench, $29.95, Vintages #616466, May 1st release and again September 4th)
Pale straw in colour; toasty, apple and apple blossom nose with oak spice; medium-bodied, dry, apple and lemon flavours with well-integrated oak, harmonious and lingering. (91)
Fess Parker Marcella’s 2017 (Santa Ynez Valley, California)
47% Viognier, 38% Grenache Blanc, 12% Roussanne, 3% Marsanne. Yellow straw colour; aromatic, spicy, lightly toasty and floral nose of orchard fruit with a touch of oak; full-bodied, rich and full on the palate with peach and golden plum flavours carried on zesty acidity. (90)
CVNE Cune Reserva 2015 (Rioja; $21.95, Vintages #417659, release date: May 15th)
85% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha Tinta, Graciano and Mazuelo. Deep ruby colour; cedary, toasty nose of black cherry with oak spice; medium-bodied, dry, cherry, cranberry and licorice flavour with lively acidity and ripe tannins; firmly structured and harmonious. Give the wine two years to really develop. (90–92)
Radford Dale Vinum Chenin Blanc 2018 (Stellenbosch, South Africa, $18.95, Vintages #13338)
Golden colour; slightly waxy, quince and honeyed nose; medium-bodied, dry, rich peach and pear flavours with lemony notes. A beautifully balanced wine (92)