Focused and defined showing aromas and flavours of cherry, plum and spice, herbs and earth; savoury and minerally fresh with restrained tannins and a touch of meatiness on the finish. Malbec with 20% Merlot.
Dense purple in colour with a spicy, black fruit and vanilla oak bouquet; full-bodied, dry, firmly structured, chunky mouthfeel with lively acidity and a firm tannic finish.
This was the best white wine I had from Niagara in 2014, a stunning Riesling and perhaps the greatest ever produced in Canada. It is an enthralling wine from start to finish with a nose of Asian pear, apple blossom, orange rind, lemon, lifted white flowers, stony minerality and beeswax. It is so beautiful on the palate with substance, electricity and flavours that range from pear and ginger notes to apple, apricot, anise and honeycomb. This beauty grabs you from the first sip with its range of flavours, subtle spices and mouth-watering acidity to the complex array of flinty minerals and nuances that build in intensity. It is lithe, yet assertive. It is succulent, yet focused. It is, in a word, seductive.
Japan’s whiskies went from unknown to insanely coveted to unavailable seemingly overnight. Apparently this even caught Japanese distillers off guard. Stocks of aged whiskies literally evaporated, leaving producers with a void to fill; a hole that has been plugged largely by malt and grain whisky blends. This, however, is not a bad thing, as Japanese blends are more approachable - in both price and profile - than age-specific single malts. Suntory’s Toki is a good example. This is a complex, fruity dram, with herbal notes; Asian pear, green apple, sweet grain, mint, and vanilla nuances. Impeccably balanced, with toasted grain, ripe pear, subtle honey, and a gentle smoky note. Blended whiskies often get ignored. Don’t ignore this.
Pale yellow. Light nose, pastry notes, fresh bread, hints of chalk. Fresh light taste, tender fruity core with good body. Quite dry, the nice finish gains extra length from a touch of bitterness.
Appealing nose with touches of ripe red fruits and flowers, a little oak. Distinguished on the palate; supple, but you feel the firmness of the tannins in the background. Well made.
The 2008 is a supremely impressive wine! This past autumn, in a blind tasting, it was pitted against other top Cabernet-based blends from all over the globe. When the results were tabulated, it was the clear winner, besting all the Bordeaux first-growths, as well as top Cali Cabs! Full-bodied and distinctly Australian, the explosive nose of jam — blueberry, blackberry, raspberry and cherry — meshes with herbs, spice and cola. There is outstanding length and more than enough ripe and well-integrated tannins to allow it to age for 2 decades. It is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Shiraz and 5% Malbec.