This aromatic beauty is a blend of seven white grapes. The primary suspects are Gewürztraminer, Musqué, Riesling and Pinot Gris. The supporting cast is Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Semillon. Mid weight, the waves of peach, mango, nectarine, spice and flowers just flatter the senses, and the refreshing acidity just adds to its allure.
‘Rare Vintage’ is a limited edition wine, only made in top years. One hundred cases were made of this aromatic beauty. Its medium body serves up huge peach, flowers, honey and vanilla on the nose and banana, cream, yeast and spice on the palate. There is beautiful length, fresh acidity and a hint of bitterness, a telltale sign of a great Gris.
Medium yellow in colour, this Chardonnay has seen new oak treatment. At first, it is the oak that appears in the form of toast, vanilla and cream, but then the apple, melon, citrus and minerals work their way into the mix. Medium body, refined and linear, there is enough weight to pair with cream-based dishes or richer cheeses.
At the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration last Sunday I tasted this Ontario wine that held its own in comparison to more costly Chardonnays from around the world. 15% Pinot Blanc in the blend. Pale straw in colour, it has flavours of peach and pineapple with a creamy mouthfeel.
This inaugural, vintage-dated premium bubbly from JT certainly hits the mark. The combination of the cooler '06 vintage and aging on the lees for 3 years has given the wine a ‘Champagne feel’. Toast, biscuit, apple, hazelnut and citrus mesh well with the small creamy bubbles, crisp acidity and excellent length. A tip of the hat to Marco Piccoli for a job well done!
More approachable at this young stage than previous vintages while still possessing big, bold flavours of leather, meat, coffee, tobacco, earth, vanilla and herbs. Different stylistically than in the past, but it will be interesting to see how this unique wine develops and evolves over the next few years.
PTG refers to "Passetoutgrain" the classic Gamay/Pinot Noir blended wine from Burgundy. JoieFarm’s version has ripe cherry aromas and flavours with a nice spiciness. It is showing a little heavy on the oak, but that may settle with a bit more time in the bottle. A good match with roasted meat dishes.