LCBO "Taste Ontario"
AGO, Toronto
Tasted Wednesday, September 22, 2010 by Jhcwine with 868 views
Introduction
Tasting of 2007 to 2009 Ontario merlot, cabernet franc, meritage, pinot and chardonney wines. Did not taste reislings.
Flight 1 (33 Notes)
Closing
Disappointing wines, with the exception of Tawse Meritage (score 89) and Lailey Pinot Noir (score 86). Clos Jordanne is over rated and over priced. Everything else is plonk or low to mid 80s' (with few of those). Some GrapeStory members have succumbed to the hype and are over rating Ontario wines, relative to vastly superior old world and established new world wines (Bordeaux, Burgundy, California, etc.). Fine wine is fine wine and plonk is plonk. So ... Ontario has a ways to go yet, with afew exceptions. This being said, some wineries were not there, and many that were there, were not showing their best wines (such as reserve wines with limited availability, etc.). Also note that I did not taste reislings (not one of my preferred grapes), and I understand that Ontario is doing better with this grape. Cheers. JHColman
2008 Colio Estate Vineyards Chardonnay Musqué 70 Points
Canada, Ontario, Lake Erie North Shore VQA
Tasted at LCBO Taste Ontario. This is plonk.
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2007 Colio Estate Vineyards Pinot Noir CEV 80 Points
Canada, Ontario, Ontario VQA
Tasted at LCBO - Taste Ontario event. Nose - passable - 85. Palette - 80 at best.
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2007 Creekside Estate Winery Laura's Red 80 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA
Tasted at LCBO "Taste Ontario' event. Nose - passable - 85. Palette - 80.
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2007 Henry of Pelham Chardonnay Barrel Fermented 75 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Escarpment VQA
Tasted at LCBO "Taste Ontario" event. Nose and Palette - plebian wine.
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2009 Flat Rock Cellars Chardonnay Unplugged 75 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Twenty Mile Bench VQA
Tasted at LCBO "Taste Ontario' event. Nose - below 80. Palette - below 80. Plebian wine.
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2007 Henry of Pelham Pinot Noir Speck Family Reserve 85 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Short Hills Bench VQA
Tasted at LCBO "Taste Ontario" event. Better than some other Ontario pinots, but that is not saying much. Nose - abit rustic - 85. Palette - also rustic - 85.
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2008 Le Clos Jordanne Chardonnay Talon Ridge Vineyard 80 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Vinemount Ridge VQA
Catchy name, but this was Jordon Wines. Nose - abit plebian, but getting there - 85. Palette - doesn't live up to nose - 80.
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2008 Le Clos Jordanne Pinot Noir Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard 87 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Twenty Mile Bench VQA
Tasted at LCBO "Taste Ontario" event. Nose - nice - 90. Palette - does not live up to nose - better than other Ontario pinots but the quality is just not there. Palette - 85. Also poor QPR at $40. I'll get better value with a Beaune Village or Cote de Nuit Village wine.
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2008 Le Clos Jordanne Pinot Noir Le Grand Clos 87 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Twenty Mile Bench VQA
Tasted at LCBO "Taste Ontario" event. Nose - nice - 90. Palette - does not live up to nose. Harsh. Off tastes. Aging will help somewhat, but will not deal with the off tastes. And I can buy an very good Beaune or Cote de Nuits Premiere Cru for the $70 Cdn that Jordanne is asking. Adding Clos to your name doesn't create the terroir or clonal diversity necessary for fine pinot. Sorry, Jordan(anne). The wine tastes contrived, forced, as if the winemarker is trying force depth and complexity that is just not there. This being said, Clos Jordanne is headed in the right direction. I tasted a 2007 pinot (the bottle that won an Ontario wine award). It was getting there, but was quite thin.
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2007 John Howard Cellars of Distinction Pinot Noir Megalomaniac Sonofabitch 70 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA
Tasted at LCBO "Taste Ontario" event. "Niagara" was right. This is plonk.
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2007 Tawse Meritage 89 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA
Tasted at LCBO "Taste Ontario'' event. The only decent red wine there. Nose - fairly soft. Merlot is clearly evident; also abit of glue, definite cherry, redcurrent. Palette - similar to nose. Score 89 on both nose and palette. Keep on working at this, Tawse. Your getting close.
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2008 Tawse Chardonnay Sketches of Niagara 88 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA
Tasted at LCBO "Taste Ontario" event. Nose - closer to a chablis, given mineral notes. 89. Palette - better than the other Ontario wines tasted there, but still abit plebian. Say 87.
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2007 Thirty Bench Chardonnay Small Lot Thirty Bench Vineyard 80 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Beamsville Bench VQA
Tasted at LCBO "Taste Ontario' event. Nose - Not bad - 87. Palette - 79.
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2008 Thirty Bench Red Thirty Bench Vineyard 81 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Beamsville Bench VQA
Tasted at LCBO "Taste Ontario' event. Nose - not bad - 87. Palette - a let down - 80
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2007 Cattail Creek Family Estate Winery Chardonnay Musqué 70 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA
Tasted at LCBO "Taste Ontario' event. Plonk.
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2007 Cattail Creek Family Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 70 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA
Tasted at LCBO "Taste Ontario' event. Not sure whether this was / is the estate bottled or generic. I'm guessing that it is estate bottled. Nose - nothing there. Palette - plonk. Don't see how anyone would give this a 90, relative to the quality of other new or old world wines. Plonk is plonk, even it is produced in our home province.
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2008 Château des Charmes Chardonnay Musqué 85 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA
Tasted at LCBO "Taste Ontario' event. Nose - gerwitzraminer, which doesn't belong in a chardonnay. Plebian nose. Maybe 85, at best. Palette - closer to a reisling. But this is a chardonnay. So, 85. Still, ths was better than other chardonney musque at the event.
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2008 Coyote's Run Estate Winery Chardonnay Black Paw Vineyard 80 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Four Mile Creek VQA
Tasted at LCBO "Taste Ontario' event. Nose - 85. Palette - 79.
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2008 Coyote's Run Estate Winery Pinot Noir Black Paw Vineyard 85 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Four Mile Creek VQA
Tasted at the LCBO "Taste of Ontario" event. Nose - 87. Palette - 83. Abit harsh.
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2007 Coyote's Run Estate Winery Meritage 79 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Four Mile Creek VQA
Tasted at the LCBO "Taste of Ontario" event. Nose and palette - 79. Harsh.
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2008 Lailey Vineyard Chardonnay 80 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara River VQA
Tasted at the LCBO "Taste of Ontario" event. Nose and palette - 80
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2008 Lailey Vineyard Pinot Noir Canadian Oak 86 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA
Tasted at the LCBO "Taste of Ontario" event. Nose - 87 - abit astringent. Palette - 85. Better than many other Ontario pinots, but still not comparable to Beune or Cote De Nuits Village wine or Oregon or New Zealand. Keep trying.
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2008 Lailey Vineyard Pinot Noir 86 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara River VQA
Tasted at the LCBO "Taste of Ontario" event. Nose - 87 - not alot there. Palette - some off tastes, - 85. Better than many other Ontario pinots, but still not comparable to Beune or Cote De Nuits Village wine or Oregon or New Zealand. Keep trying.
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2008 Mike Weir Estate Winery Pinot Noir 70 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA
Tasted at the LCBO "Taste of Ontario" event. Nose - passable at best. Palette - plonk.
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2008 Mike Weir Estate Winery Cabernet-Merlot 70 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA
Tasted at the LCBO "Taste of Ontario" event. Pure plonk.
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2007 Ravine Vineyard Chardonnay 70 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA
Tasted at the LCBO "Taste of Ontario" event. Pure plonk.
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2008 Ravine Vineyard Merlot 83 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA
Tasted at the LCBO "Taste of Ontario" event. - Its difficult to ruin a Merlot, so this wine is passable (barely). But there is nothing to this wine.
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2008 Ravine Vineyard Merlot 86 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA
Tasted at the LCBO "Taste of Ontario" event. Nose - abit overpowering. 85. Palette - not bad - 87.
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2008 Southbrook Winery Chardonnay Whimsy! 70 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula
Tasted at the LCBO "Taste of Ontario" event. Whimsically aweful.
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2007 Southbrook Winery Cabernet Franc Whimsy Watson Vineyard 70 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA
Not sure this is from the Watson vineyard. However, the price is similar. Tasted at the LCBO "Taste of Ontario" event. Whimsically aweful. There is no way that this wine is an 89 or 90, relative to other much better California Meritage or Bordeaux wines.
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2007 Southbrook Winery Cabernet-Merlot Poetica 79 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA
Tasted at the LCBO "Taste of Ontario" event. There is just no way that this wine is a 91, relative to other much better California Meritage or Bordeaux wines. I just drank a Chateaux Pontet-Canet 2001 that CT members rated at 91, that is vastly superior to this. There is quality and there is plonk. This is pure plonk.
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2008 Norman Hardie Chardonnay Unfiltered 79 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA
Tasted at the LCBO "Taste of Ontario" event. Nose and palette - plonk.
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2008 Norman Hardie Pinot Noir Unfiltered 79 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA
Tasted at the LCBO "Taste of Ontario" event. Nose and palette - plonk.
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