Home
Privacy Policy
Contact us
About OWR
Free Bi-Weekly Newsletter
Ontario's Best Wines and Wineries; Reviews, Events & more. Subscribe here. We value your privacy!
Name
E-mail
Subscribe
Unsubscribe
Main Menu
Home
Gewurztraminer Challenge
Wine Reviews
Newsletter Archives
Weekly Wine Note & Podcast
Lost & Found / Taste it Again
On the Road with the Grape Guy
Blogs
Social Media
Vintages Releases
Web & Winery Links
Advertise With Us
Advertisement
Syndicate
Advertisement
WineBook
Categories
»
White Wine
Recently added -
Most viewed -
Rated the best
Lailey Vineyard 2005 Canadian Oak Chardonnay
Hits:
1393
Rating:
Nº votes
Date added;:
13.Oct.2007
Author :
Michael Pinkus - Grape Guy
Description
I am not secretive about my ABC affliction (Anything But Chardonnay) – I have always found Chards to be too something: oaky, buttery, brassy, heavy … and winemakers use a very heavy and intrusive hand when making them. Sure, it’s the world’s favourite white, but I still have trouble getting my lips and tongue around a glass. There are two exceptions to that rule: 1) I am drawn to unoaked versions more than oaked versions, and 2) a good, unique oaked version. Well I can now plunk Lailey Vineyard into that second category. For years, winemaker Derek Barnett has been patriotic enough, and daring enough, to work with Canadian oak barrels with some degree of success. When first introduced, I had heard that Canadian oak was too oaky, added too much butteryness and the overall effect overpowered a wine’s finesse. Well, Barnett has been working with it long enough to know some of the ins and outs of this wood, and he crafts a very nice wine from one of his signature grapes: Chardonnay (a grape he has been working with successfully since his days at Southbrook). This wine sits in its Canadian wooded home for 9 months and comes out with a nose of soft butter, vanilla bean and banana, all of which follows through on the palate with hints of oak in the mix. The nice lingering finish with hints of rose petals makes for a wonderful wine with or without food. Enjoy it for the holidays or hold it for a few years, but for goodness sake show some Canadian pride and buy a bottle or two – it’s well worth the extra coin. Only 97 cases are in existence and Lailey sells out long before they have a chance to make more.
Notes
Available at the winery
Varietal / Grape
Chardonnay
Region
Niagara
Winery
Lailey Vineyard
Year
2005
Rating
1 (Min.)
5 (Max.)
WineBook by
Detodas
Polls
Is Cellared in Canada a dead issue?
Yes
No
Will you find a way to celebrate Ontario's 200 years of winemaking?
Yes
No
200 Years ... Reallly?
Should the LCBO bring back their plastic bag?
Yes
No
©2005-2010, OntarioWineReview. All Rights Reserved.