Finally a good Rosé from Niagara! I'm told it was a kitchen sink blend and skin contact was used from all varieties. Colour is a bit on the darker side like a Tavel. Nose features typical rose water, cran/cherry, and mineral notes. Palate starts with a bit of a sweet entry and is dry with no perceived residual sugar and turns dry and firm. Finish is refreshing acidic, great food wine. Doesn't give in at all to the candied, medicinal, or residual sugar that seem to effect all other Ontario Rosés I've had. Good start.
A solidly built and structured ringer for a White Burg. Nose of mineral, wet stone, lemon, pear, kisses of high-quality french oak via toasted nuts and vanilla. Palate isn't quite as long as I had hoped but features plenty of mineral and acid. Would fit in well with a lineup of high quality village white burgs. Doesn't give in to overripeness or over oaking. No tropical notes or butterscotch at all.
A more straightforward example of the Tawse Chardonnay style but cut from the same cloth as the Quarry Road. Minerality is prominently featured but there is a touch more perceived oak but also strangely it comes across as a bit more tight and a little less giving. Lacking bit in complexity over the Quarry Road today. Still featuring sufficient acid and minerality on the palate. Nicely done.
Very expressive Riesling here. Nose blasts sour acid: tart green apples, lime juice, wet stone, and light touch of petrol. Palate is a touch off dry and gives plenty of sour acid and mineral notes on the long finish. Very high quality.
One of the better examples of Niagara Gewurtz I've had but not quite the level of intensity I typically find in Alsace. Nose of perfume, lychee, rose petals, and candied ginger. Palate is less viscus than I expect from Gewurtz but does give a nice little hit of acid on the finish. Good but I don't know if there is a strong value proposition for me at $24.95.
Not a big Gamay fan in general. I found this a bit thin and lacking in flavour and character. Palate is bitter. Pass for me but I guess I could see how some would like it.
There is complexity on the nose of this pinot, but I found it to be in the form of oak. Vanilla, caramel, and spice. Some cherry fruit and cranberry round things out, palateable, even a bit interesting, but really not much appeal for me here.
Nose is shy but you can tell there is something there. As is typical it slips into the cranberry/cherry specrum with a touches of spice but not much else. Palat is a bit tannic and drying with a shortish finish. Not sure Tawse Pinots are for me.
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Lincoln Lakeshore VQA
Here we have something quite interesting. In my mind really a ringer for a good Chinon. Definitely green, but not nasty overwhelming bell pepper and herbs like many in niagara. Nose of dark berries, charred green pepper, smoke, pepper, and a strong sense of minerals. Not too rustic, but I could see some tobacco emerging with time. Palate is almost silky with enough structure and tannin to suggest aging. Impressive.
A wine that really felt like it was in hiding. You could tell something was there and almost felt a little bordeaux like but fairly mute nose and palate keeps me from scoring right now.
Can't say I'm a fan of this. Almost prosecco like, but less fruit than procescco. No traditional method elements notable as all. Nose of CO2, really nothing else. Palate was almost reminiscent of club soda. This is a strike out, but I'm told some bottlings with more time on their lees are coming.
Nose is less expressive than the palate. Nose of herbs and strawberry. Palate explodes with strawberry jam on a long sticky finish. Very pleasant without any of the medicinal or candied notes that plague these bottlings.
2012 Tawse Growers Blend Rosé 89 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA
Finally a good Rosé from Niagara! I'm told it was a kitchen sink blend and skin contact was used from all varieties. Colour is a bit on the darker side like a Tavel. Nose features typical rose water, cran/cherry, and mineral notes. Palate starts with a bit of a sweet entry and is dry with no perceived residual sugar and turns dry and firm. Finish is refreshing acidic, great food wine. Doesn't give in at all to the candied, medicinal, or residual sugar that seem to effect all other Ontario Rosés I've had. Good start.
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2010 Tawse Chardonnay Quarry Road Vineyard 91 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Vinemount Ridge VQA
A solidly built and structured ringer for a White Burg. Nose of mineral, wet stone, lemon, pear, kisses of high-quality french oak via toasted nuts and vanilla. Palate isn't quite as long as I had hoped but features plenty of mineral and acid. Would fit in well with a lineup of high quality village white burgs. Doesn't give in to overripeness or over oaking. No tropical notes or butterscotch at all.
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2010 Tawse Chardonnay Estate Vineyards 89 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA
A more straightforward example of the Tawse Chardonnay style but cut from the same cloth as the Quarry Road. Minerality is prominently featured but there is a touch more perceived oak but also strangely it comes across as a bit more tight and a little less giving. Lacking bit in complexity over the Quarry Road today. Still featuring sufficient acid and minerality on the palate. Nicely done.
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2011 Tawse Riesling Carly's Block 90 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Twenty Mile Bench VQA
Very expressive Riesling here. Nose blasts sour acid: tart green apples, lime juice, wet stone, and light touch of petrol. Palate is a touch off dry and gives plenty of sour acid and mineral notes on the long finish. Very high quality.
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2012 Tawse Gewürztraminer Quarry Road Vineyard 89 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Vinemount Ridge VQA
One of the better examples of Niagara Gewurtz I've had but not quite the level of intensity I typically find in Alsace. Nose of perfume, lychee, rose petals, and candied ginger. Palate is less viscus than I expect from Gewurtz but does give a nice little hit of acid on the finish. Good but I don't know if there is a strong value proposition for me at $24.95.
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2011 Tawse Gamay Noir 86 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA
Not a big Gamay fan in general. I found this a bit thin and lacking in flavour and character. Palate is bitter. Pass for me but I guess I could see how some would like it.
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2010 Tawse Pinot Noir Growers Blend 87 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA
There is complexity on the nose of this pinot, but I found it to be in the form of oak. Vanilla, caramel, and spice. Some cherry fruit and cranberry round things out, palateable, even a bit interesting, but really not much appeal for me here.
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2010 Tawse Pinot Noir Cherry Ave Vineyard 87 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Twenty Mile Bench VQA
Nose is shy but you can tell there is something there. As is typical it slips into the cranberry/cherry specrum with a touches of spice but not much else. Palat is a bit tannic and drying with a shortish finish. Not sure Tawse Pinots are for me.
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2010 Tawse Cabernet Franc Laundry Vineyard 90 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Lincoln Lakeshore VQA
Here we have something quite interesting. In my mind really a ringer for a good Chinon. Definitely green, but not nasty overwhelming bell pepper and herbs like many in niagara. Nose of dark berries, charred green pepper, smoke, pepper, and a strong sense of minerals. Not too rustic, but I could see some tobacco emerging with time. Palate is almost silky with enough structure and tannin to suggest aging. Impressive.
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2010 Tawse Merlot David's Block
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Twenty Mile Bench VQA
Quite overwhelming oak with plummy fruit. Not for me.
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2009 Tawse Meritage
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA
A wine that really felt like it was in hiding. You could tell something was there and almost felt a little bordeaux like but fairly mute nose and palate keeps me from scoring right now.
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2010 Tawse Chardonnay Spark David's Block 82 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Twenty Mile Bench VQA
Can't say I'm a fan of this. Almost prosecco like, but less fruit than procescco. No traditional method elements notable as all. Nose of CO2, really nothing else. Palate was almost reminiscent of club soda. This is a strike out, but I'm told some bottlings with more time on their lees are coming.
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2009 Tawse Riesling Icewine 91 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Twenty Mile Bench VQA
Very pretty late harvest aromatics. Honey, poached peach, mango. Palate his the right level of sugar with sufficient acid. Nicely put together.
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2011 Tawse Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine 90 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA
Nose is less expressive than the palate. Nose of herbs and strawberry. Palate explodes with strawberry jam on a long sticky finish. Very pleasant without any of the medicinal or candied notes that plague these bottlings.
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