Cave Spring 2006 Riesling “Dolomite”

Click here to read the original review from August 2007
Taste it Again from January 2010, another in July 2011,

and once again in February 2013

(Re-Tasted May 2013) ... It has not been long since my last tasting of this wine, in fact it's only been 3 months since I popped the cork on the last bottle of the Dolimite Riesling (circa 2006) ... The minerality is still quite good on both the nose and palate, there's a hint of petrol on the nose and palate as well but it's more prominent on the nose; the palate takes on more of a dried lemon-lime characteristic with slight green apple nuances especially on the finish.  You'll also find touches of dried apricot and peach along with good acidity.  The wine is still holding up quite well and makes for a great evening sipper as aperitif.

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Maleta 2007 VIEW Chardonnay

Click here to read the original review from June 2011

(Re-Tasted May 2013) ... It's a lovely spring Saturday and a Chardonnay-loving friend is coming over for dinner - now we started with a half glass of Rose (Chateau des Charmes 2012) and moved quickly on to the main white (this Maleta Chardonnay).  Now granted, my first review is just shy of 2 years ago, and it was released less than 3 years ago, but this was a hot vintage Chardonnay - so it's interesting to see its quick evolution.  Truth is it is drinking perfectly now, as long as you like bigger flavours in your Chardonnay:  anise and butter do appear along with some rather pleasing toffee notes.  Those looking for fruit will find it in the form of baked peach and apple crumble along with its accompanying spiced nuances and characteristics.  For a 6 year old hot vintage Chardonnay this is rather tasty - but as our Chardonnay lover pointed out, "I wouldn't hold this much longer"; I happen to agree, so I'm glad to report that was my last bottle, and we drank it just in time.

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Malivoire 2009 M2 Gamay - Small Lot

Click here to read the original review from June 2010

(Re-Tasted May 2013) ... A stunning Sunday night and the new charcoal BBQ is heating up awaiting the freshly purchased sausages ... temperature is in the mid-20's and I can't believe it's only May ... but such weather requires a chilled Gamay and I pulled out a previous 5-star favourite from the 2009 vintage.  '09 was great for acidity, Pinto Noirs and Rieslings benefited, but so did this absolutely scrumptious Gamay.  This Small Lot M2 first saw the shelves of Malivoire this year and was their third Gamay in their wine line-up.  They have kept the line and expanded it but nothing 9yet) has matched this exquisite 2009 and now only 4 years later I think it's even better than it was when I reviewed it back in June of 2010.  Loaded with fruit like cherry hints of raspberry, red licorice and all lightly sprinkled with white pepper ... with absolutely no sign of giving up those great smells and flavours.  Gamay doesn't get much better than this and nor do the days on which to drink it ... and the photo here reflects it.

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Featherstone 2009 Gamay

Click here to read the original review from August 2011

(Re-Tasted May 2013) ... I guess I should not be surprised at a wine that I tasted and reviewed less than two years ago but let me tell you I think this wine is now even better now than it was back then.  When I spoke with winery co-owner Louise Engel she told me, "Our inspiration is the great Gamays produced at 13th Street" and here in Ontario those are pretty lofty standards to aspire.  Last night I opened the wine with a flick of the wrist (screwcap thank you very much) and poured the wine into a Burgundy style glass ... an explosion of fruit (cherry) hit my nose almost instantly ... the palate was also front loaded with cherry both of the sour and fresh/sweet variety).  The wine itself is fresh, enjoyable and incredibly easy drinking.  It's quaffable and thirst quenching, especially because it had just a touch of a wine-fridge chill on it.  The fruit has meshed together, the acidity is in perfect balance, there's little in the way of tannin to get in the way ... it truly is stunningly delicious and paired incredible well with my stuffed-chicken breast dinner.  Sadly, I have recently learned that Featherstone will no longer be making Gamay and there are but 8 cases left of 2010 and that's all that they have.  I'm not sure I'll be able to get over this quickly - but at least I have a few bottle of the '09 and a couple of '10s to remind me of the great Gamay Featherstone used to produce.

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Featherstone 2003 Cabernet Franc - Estate Bottled

Found May 2013

I visited Featherstone earlier in the week and made the decision to try my oldest bottle of Featherstone wine, which just happened to be this 2003 Cabernet Franc.  I want to tell you it was lovely.  I want to tell you it held up so well that I was shocked.  I want to tell you that 2003 is a better year than we give it credit for ... but unfortunately I can't say any of that.  The wine isn't horrible - that's the best thing I can say ... in fact it's not bad and tolerable, but it lacks any depth or elegance, it's a one note pony (to steal from a few phrases).  It's leafy and herbaceous with some smoky dried tobacco leaf on the nose.  Palate has some bitter coffee notes from the get go, goes to dry and smoky tobacco leaf and settles into something leafy with a little tannin.  It's not a great wine, it's definitely drinkable but it's not going to be your favourite old wine and by the two hour mark it's very nondescript and not very appealing.  Lost & Found Rating:  Tolerable

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Inniskillin 2006 Pinot Noir - Reserve Series

Found April 2013

Here's another happy but surprising find in my cellar.  Not sure how I missed this one the first time through but am I glad I waited on this one, because I would say it's a perfect Pinot experience - but not for those who like em young and fresh, you're gonna have to like the aged character of wine here.  The nose is earthy and smoky with some balsamic-raspberry notes on both the nose and taste; that's how the palate kicks off before segueing into eathy-strawberry with more balsamic.  As it sits in the glass the balsamic continues to intensify all the while throwing in dried fruits and earthy character ... the finish is dry and slightly oaky with little hits of vanilla that appear here and there.  A lovely seven year old Pinot that's a delicious wine right now.  Lost & Found Rating:  Treasure

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Thirty Bench 2007 Red

Click here to read the original review from June 2009

(Re-Tasted March 2013) ... Last night I went back to a 2005 vintage wine and was very impressed, tonight I step up two years to another great Ontario vintage, 2007, to re-taste a wine from 30 Bench.  This mainly Cabernets blend (Franc and Sauvignon make up a whopping 95%) has no intention, and shows no sign, of letting go of its dark fruit aromas and flavours any time soon.  From from first sniff to last sip it still has lots of it.  The nose is black raspberry, blackberry and spiced cherry, while the palate shows off a little more complexity: blueberry, blackberry and spice are the mainstays, followed up by hints of oak, anise and white pepper, there also seems to be a slight mocha note that appears on the finish.  But there is always that dark fruit just waiting in the wings to push all the others aside and assert its dominance.  This wine is still very, very good.

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