Vintages Release: November 14, 2020

• The following méthode traditionnelle, vintage-dated, 2015 Henry of Pelham ‘Cuvée Catharine – Carte Blanche - Estate - Blanc de Blanc’ is named for family matriarch Catherine Smith—Henry of Pelham’s wife. It was hand harvested and bunch selected from 100% chardonnay, then whole-cluster pressed, 20% barrel fermented, maturing four and one-half years in bottle on its lees before disgorgement. The 2nd fermentation of this Vintage-dated sparkling wine took place in the bottle(s) you purchase and take home.

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Henry of Pelham ‘Cuvée Catharine – Carte Blanche - Estate - Blanc de Blanc’ 2015

VQA Short Hills Bench $49.95 (315200) 12.5% alcohol
A profusion of mousse forms in the glass when poured followed by seemingly endless streams of fine-bead bubbles winding their way from the bottom of the glass to the top amidst glorious aromas of leesy yeast, crisp Granny Smith apple and wisps of buttered toast and baking brioche. This bathes the palate with tang-laden pizzazz of lemon curd and white grapefruit adorned with ripe pear. It finishes clean, crisp and refreshing. There’s plenty of time for this to mature and evolve between now and 2025 when it’s ten years of age. I’d suggest careful cellaring and opening the first bottle then, reaping the rewards of patience and wine maturity. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2018 Cave Mystère ‘Chombart + Speck’ Merlot is a collaboration between the Chombart family of Bordeaux, France with the Speck brothers of Henry of Pelham winery here in Ontario. The prehistoric caves below the Chambort’s vineyards at their winery, Château Lamothe-Haux, are carved out of limestone and go for kilometers as the limestone is used for the buildings in the area. This wine matured for 10 months in French oak barriques in these limestone caves with 80% pre-loved medium-toast barriques, half were one-year used and the balance two-year used with 20% new oak. The raisin d’être for the collaboration is to fashion a red wine in ‘old world’ Bordeaux to please ‘new world’ palates.

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Cave Mystère ‘Chombart + Speck’ Merlot 2018
AOC Bordeaux, France $18.95 (17232) 14.5% alcohol
Delicate aromas of floral notes and cherry/berry fruit make way for a tang-infused flow of palate flavours with pie cherry and passion fruit to the fore. It’s medium-bodied with plenty of tangy pizzazz and flavours of red plum and red cherry making an appearance on the aftertaste along with wisps of tannin. Give this a go now to 2024 poured with meat and tomato lasagna, chicken pot pie or tomato beef stew. Aerate/decant for two hours before serving. (Vic Harradine)

• Fruit for the following 2018 Fess Parker Chardonnay was sourced from 100% chardonnay vines from these select Santa Barbara County vineyards—37% Santa Maria Valley/29% Los Alamos/24% Santa Ynez Valley/10% Sta. Rita Hills. The wine was 100% barrel fermented and matured for seven months in French and Hungarian oak, 28% new.

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Fess Parker Chardonnay 2018
Santa Barbara County, California $21.95 (167501) 14.1% alcohol
Floral, sweet vanilla, orchard fruit and toasty aromas waft easily from the glass preceding a mouth-watering, smooth and balanced mouthful of mixed spice, pear, apple and lemony tang flavour enveloping the palate. The oak is well integrated and the flavours and acidity balanced on a pin. The texture is pleasantly oily while the finish is lengthy, clean and refreshing and the aftertaste replays palate flavours. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2018 Quails’ Gate Pinot Noir was hand harvested over several days in October 2018. Fruit was pre-soaked on skins for five days then fermented on ambient and cultivated yeasts for two to three weeks with gentle maceration before pressing. It was then matured in French oak barrels for 10 months before racking and blending the 93% pinot noir and 7% gamay.

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Quails’ Gate Pinot Noir 2018
Okanagan Valley, BC $32.95 (585760) 13.5% alcohol
Wood-smoke and dark cherry/berry aromas mingle with mixed spice and savoury herbs. Palate flavours of bramble berry and black plum interwoven with piquant spice are framed by good tang and pizzazz and underpinned by ripe tannin. The oak regimen is well integrated and the palate flavours replay through the balanced and bountiful finish and aftertaste. It’s deftly balanced with good purity of fruit, ripe tannin and lively acidity. Give this a go now to 2026 with cassoulet or roast chicken. (Vic Harradine)

Vintages Release: November 28, 2020

• The following 2017 Jim Barry Wines ‘Barry Bros.’ Shiraz was sourced from the family-owned estate vineyards in the cool-climate GI of Clare Valley located north of the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia.
• Jim Barry Wines—on the winery’s 60th anniversary—captured the prestigious 2020 James Halliday Wine Companion, ‘Winery of the Year Award’!

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Jim Barry Wines ‘Barry Bros.’ Shiraz 2017

Clare Valley, Australia $19.95 (16036) 14.0% alcohol

Black bramble berry fruit aromas—raspberry and blackberry—intertwine with violet flowers and red cherry on the nose of this medium-plus weight, gorgeously textured, value-infused shiraz. It flows over the palate with a lovely wash of delicious flavours—black plum compote, juicy black cherry and grilled herbs interwoven with excellent tang and acidity and a balanced and beautiful finish, all underpinned with soft, ripe tannin. Drink now or cellar short term pouring with well-trimmed, low- and slow-cooked lamb shoulder. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2019 Henry of Pelham ‘Bin 106 – Lost Boys – Limited Edition’ Baco Noir was sourced from a single vineyard of accredited sustainably grown fruit on vines that were shovel planted by hand by the three Speck Brothers thirty-five years before these grapes were harvested. The wine was barrel-selected after maturing in American 225L barriques—50% one-year old/50% new—followed by 12 months in a foudre—a foudre is a very large oak container (3000L) that is significantly larger than a barrique.

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Henry of Pelham ‘Bin 106 – Lost Boys – Limited Edition’ Baco Noir 2019

VQA Ontario $29.95 (13421) 13.0% alcohol
Gamey notes, tobacco, vanillin and mixed field berry fruit aromas introduce this fabulous baco noir. It envelops the palate with a gusher of palate flavours—lip-smacking crunchy red fruit melding beautifully with sweet-tinged black Bing cherry and wisps of Kirsch liqueur. It’s medium-plus bodied, generously textured and presents with good complexity and plenty of pizzazz. Give this a go with osso buco, cassoulet or lamb tagine. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2017 Gérard Bertrand ‘Grand Terroir - Les Aspres’ is a syrah/mourvèdre/grenache blend. Aspres translates to ‘arid’ in Catalan; an appropriate descriptor for this unique scrubland boasting a sunny Mediterranean climate in a region that borders Catalonia. Fruit was picked primarily by hand before being sorted in the vineyard and then again when they reach the winery. After a traditional fermentation they are de-stemmed prior to a three to four week maceration then pressed followed by malolactic fermentation then 33% of the wine matures in oak barrels for nine months while the balance settles and rests in vats.

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Gérard Bertrand ‘Grand Terroir - Les Aspres’ 2017

AOP Côtes du Roussillon Les Aspres $19.95 (413245) 14.5% alcohol
Alluring aromas of cassis, savoury herbs, black plum and dark chocolate set the mood for a crescendo of bountiful, deftly balanced and smooth-as-silk palate flavours—cassis, black bramble berry and dark bittersweet chocolate to the fore. This showcases fabulous palate flavours, excellent balance, creamy-smooth texture and a finish and aftertaste that’s luscious and lengthy. Don’t hesitate to pick up a few for drinking now to 2025. Pour with roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, mushroom gravy and carrot, onion and potato cooked around the roast. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2018 Alvear Palacio Quemado ‘Vendimia Seleccionada’ was sourced from select vineyards of tempranillo and garnacha tintorera vines—the latter—aka Alicante Bouschet—a rare teinturier grape variety setting it aside from other Vitis vinifera varieties—most wine grapes are Vitis vinifera—as it has a dark skin and also dark pulp. Virtually all other varieties of Vitis vinifera—both white and dark grapes—have white pulp.

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Alvear Palacio Quemado ‘Vendimia Seleccionada’ 2018
DO Ribera Del Guadiana $13.95 (16588) 13.5% alcohol
Opaque black and brooding in the glass, shy aromas of grilled herbs, mixed spice and dark cherry/berry fruit can be coaxed after a serious swirl. It blankets the palate with a medium- bodied, sweet-tinged and tang-laden wash of cherry, plum and vanilla flavours leading to a lip-smacking and drying finish. Aerate/decant for a couple of hours serving with pasta in tomato sauce—try pasta puttanesca. The price-quality balance tips in your favour. (Vic Harradine

Vintages Release: December 12, 2020

• The following 2018 Palliser Estate Wines ‘Pencarrow’ Chardonnay was fashioned from fruit grown on two estate vineyards—Om Santi and Clouston. It was barrel fermented in French oak using 50% ambient and 50% cultivated yeasts with 20% being new oak then aged ten months on its lees with occasional stirring.

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Palliser Estate Wines ‘Pencarrow’ Chardonnay 2018
Martinborough, North Island, New Zealand $21.95 (16028) 13.0% alcohol
Alluring, delicate aromas of tropical fruit, toasty notes and pit fruit provide segue for a medium-weight, nicely textured river of palate flavours with buttered toast, crisp apple and wisps of minerality to the fore. This is deftly balanced with good purity of fruit and a lengthy, mouth-watering finish and aftertaste. The price-quality ratio skews in your favour. What’s not to like. Pour with mussels steamed in leeks, cream and white wine or scallops pan-seared in butter. (Vic Harradine)