What I've Been Tasting - April 2024
10 May 2024- Details
- Category: What I'm Tasting
2027 Cellars 2020 Chardonnay, Wismer Foxcroft (Ontario) 
This Chardonnay see 25% new oak for under a year and the results are a pretty fruit forward version with subtle floral and delicate spice. The key here is the tropical fruit, peach and apple. ($30.00 - Winery) - ****
Achaval Ferrar 2019 Quimera (Argentina)
A Malbec / Cabernet Franc / Cabernet Sauvignon blend that layers in some Merlot for good measure. It has a lot of heft and ageability to come, but right now you can look for toasty-vanilla oak, plenty of dark fruit and nice spice all the way to the finish. ($53.00) - ****
Big Head Wines 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Select (Ontario)
This 100% Appassimento hits a whopping 15.3% alcohol after 2 years in new Maldovan oak. Juicy, jammy and big: black fruit, surprisingly fresh acidity, but with cassis and smoked-cherry. Palate crushing tannins that needs time to mellow. (Sold Out) - ****+
Calamus 2019 Appassimento (Ontario)
A 50/50 Cabernet Franc / Sauvignon blend that has been dried: the result is a silky mouthfeel with black cherry, mocha, chocolate, raspberry and cigar box. ($69.00 - Winery - ****
Chateau des Charmes 2020 Equuleus (Ontario)
This is suppose to be the Chateau's iconic wine. The one built to age. The one you pay a premium for so that you can sit it in your cellar for a decade or more and finally, when you think it's ready you wrestle it like an alligator to the ground. I have tasted many Equuleus over the years and this was by far the least impressive: light and easy to drink now. I had to re-look at the bottle to make sure I hadn't poured the wrong wine. Vanilla, juicy fruit and supple tannins. By far the most approachable Equuleus to date - but that is not the mandate of Equuleus, so I'm not impressed. Time will tell if it makes it's mandate - I'm betting not. ($60.00 - Winery) - *** 1/2
CREW (Colchester Ridge) 2018 Grand CREW (Ontario)
This is the big gun from the folks at Colchester: juicy and spicy with licorice and black cherry; there's even a hint of vanilla. ($44.95 - Winery) - ****
Dirty Laundry 2022 Hush White (British Columbia) 
Floral and sweet apple notes with a touch of lemon and crunchy white peach. ($20.99 - Winery) - *** 1/2
JCB 2021 Unity - Cabernet Sauvignon Blend (California)
It starts off as quite soft and supple, fruit forward and easy to drink with plenty of black cherry, blackberry and a little white pepper. The tannins are slick and there is even some herbal notes, plus vanilla. It turns out that after about half an hour, all you want is to keep drinking this wine. ($24.95 - #31407) - ****
Les Jamelles 2022 Sauvignon Blanc (France)
This is an unpretentious little number that has some lovely notes of white peach and white grapefruit; it's refreshing and quite enjoyable. When / If it goes on sale for $2 off it will be an even better bargain. ($17.95 - #465146) - *** 1/2+
Wakefield 2021 Chardonnay (Australia) 
Another fruit driven affair from Wakefield; I'm liking this direction they are taking with their Chardonnays of late. This one has some pretty orange peel and pineapple notes at its core. Nice to see fruit in Aussie Chard. ($16.95 - #711556) - *** 1/2+
Something OLD ... a wine that blew my hair back:
Gaja 1990 Sperss - I love old wine and when I get a chance to taste them I jump at the opportunity, if for nothing else, it's a chance to learn. This wine blew my mind - fresh with great acidity; there was also still fruit within, making it so enjoyable. I had read the wine is at the end of its drinking window, but I'd be willing to give it another five years. Shared with great friends and loved ones, which made it all the better. AMAZING
