Wines at Andre's - Night 1 (Ontario / South Africa / California)
13 Apr 2018- Details
- Category: Uncorked Tonight
(October 17, 2016) ... A night spent with my podcast partner, Andre, is usually filled with talk, food and older wines from my cellar ... these were tonight's gems (and flops) - all Ontario wine unless specified:
Huff Estates 2008 Gamay Reserve ... nose of earthy and black cherry notes; on the palate there's plenty of acidity, which keeps a certain amount of freshness intact. Colour is noticeably brick-y while the palate shows elements of sour cherry, cranberry and herbal; but the finish is bitter and sour ... Not a wine I am happy to go back to, doesn't carry well in the glass.
Southbrook 2010 Whimsy! Chardonnay ... funky yet enjoyable Southbrook Chardonnay with sponge toffee, hazelnut, caramel, buttery, vanilla, peach, pear, and nice spice - comes off a little sweet in my book but Chard-head Andre could drink the whole bottle himself ... moving on ...
Fielding Estates 2004 Pinot Noir ... I pull out an old Ontario Pinot from a year noted for the grape, considering the year I'm happy it's drinkable but with aromas and flavours reminiscent of olive brine, herbal, and tomato leaf, this exceptionally savoury wine lacks any real fruit character.
False Bay 2004 Shiraz (South Africa) ... enough Ontario for now let's see what other trouble we can get into. This South African Shiraz is smoky, leathery, meaty, and peppery with a nice finish of spice and cassis.
Cypress 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (California) ... this is a pleasant little surprise, a Cali-Cab under $15 that has managed to hang around and be interesting: raisin-y, jammy, and plummy, with plenty of ripe fruit character, at times it seems almost over-ripe-ish; it really is quite pleasant, 13 year old under $15 and still drinkable, now that's something to cheers about.
To see Night 2 - click here
And a night at Andre's always involves a dog.
(February 26, 2017) ... One of my favourite South African wines I have tasted in a while, when it was young, fresh, fruity and lively; now that it is 10 years old it still retains lots of what made it so exciting in the first place, now with extra complexity: coffee, blackberry, delicate spices, cassis, smoky-tobacco and a cigar finish.
