Not much happened this week in terms of wine activity – except for the following and some wine I had with dinner.
Henry of Pelham The School House Cabernet-Merlot 2020 (Short Hills Bench, Niagara, $27.95, CSPC #395855)
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)
Henry of Pelham Chardonnay Classic 2023 (Niagara Peninsula, $15.95 ($13.95 until March 31st), CSPC #291211)
Straw colour; minerally, toasty, smoky nose of apple; medium-bodied, dry, richly extracted, apple and green peach flavours with a charred note on the finish. Great value (89)
Yalumba GEN Organic Chardonnay 2022 (South Australia, $21.95, Vintages #33592, to be released April 27th)
Bright, light golden colour; toasty, peachy bouquet with oak spice; medium-bodied dry, green peach, apple and green pineapple flavours. Loads of flavour here, (90)
Weingut Max Ferd. Richler Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Kabinett 2022 (Mosel, Vintages #36929, to be released March 16th)
Bright, pale straw colour; minerally, floral, grapefruit and lime nose; light-bodied (8% alcohol), just off-dry; elegant, beautifully balanced, honeyed grapefruit and lemon-lime flavours that dance on the palate. A classic German Riesling. (92)
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)
Wines with dinner:
Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva 1982 (unfortunately corked!), Isole e Olena Syrah 2019, Le Clos Jordanne Jordan Village Pinot Noir 2019, I Saltari Amarone della Valpolicella 2008 (magnificent, with spaghetti carbonara).
