Jen Hart
Saturday, February 17th: Jennifer Hart generously invited friends to taste her “cellar treasures” at Phil and Meg’s house (who live in our ’hood). The invitation read: “This is how the evening will lay out:
6:30 arrival – for bubbles, apps and cheese
7:00 sharp – cellar wines tasting
7:45/8 – dinner.”
Philip Dowell’s Millésime Blanc de Blancs Brut
The bubbles were a magnum of Phil’s Millésime Blanc de Blancs Brut. (I brought along a bottle of Township 7 Seven Stars Polaris 2020 (Okanagan; $39.97 in BC). Shining, pale straw in colour; Active mousse of tiny bubbles; minerally, green apple nose; medium-bodied, crisply dry, lemony, green peach flavour with a note of ginger. Great length. Perfect Blanc de blancs brut! (92))
The wines were served blind, and we were quizzed on their provenance and vintage. The theme was France and the wines showed beautifully.
Other wines tasted this week:
Malivoire Melon 2023 (Beamsville Bench, $22; winery only)
100% Melon de Bourgogne. Canada’s answer to Muscadet. Very pale straw in colour with a lime tint; minerally, grapefruit zest nose with lemon notes; medium-bodied, crisply dry, green plum and lemon flavours with a thread of minerality. (89)
Henry of Pelham The School House Cabernet-Merlot 2020 (Short Hills Bench, Niagara, $27.95)
Deep ruby in colour; cedary, blackcurrant and black plum bouquet with oak spice; medium to full-bodied, dry, richly extracted flavours of black and redcurrants with well-integrated oak. Fine mouth feel. (90)
Corked!
Also tasted this week, with dinner: Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva 1982 (unfortunately corked!), Isole e Olena Syrah Collezione Privata 2019.
