The 2010 Sur Lie is a smooth and easy-drinking white with a profile of banana, green apple, lemon and minerals. Light to medium body; the acid is soft and the finish lengthy. Pair it with grilled scallops drizzled with a basil/chili oil or medium cheddar.
Made from the Zinfandel grape, this rosé is pale pink in colour with a lightly floral bouquet of raspberries. Medium to full-bodied, its richly extracted red cherry flavour is carried on lively acidity. It has enough weight and structure to stand up to red meat dishes.
Pale salmon in colour; cranberry and wild strawberry bouquet. Dry, light to medium bodied, with tangy flavours of rhubarb and strawberry. Good length. A harbinger of summer rosé.
Barrel fermented, estate grown Merlot with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon yields forward notes of red and black fruit and wild berry notes before a bright and intense palate of raspberry, black cherry and cassis with leather, mocha and some herbal notes wrapped in well-integrated tannins with a lingering juiciness in the close.
A new winery venture from Mission Hill’s Anthony von Mandl, specializing in Chardonnay. Straw colour with a minerally, citrus, apple bouquet; rich, spicy peach flavour with a floral note. Lovely mouthfeel, well-integrated oak with precise acidity, ending on a butterscotch note. The most Burgundian in style of the 5 CheckMate Chardonnays.
A 65% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier blend, aged for 5 years on the lees, this fine bubble shows vibrant colour with very fine persistent mousse in the glass. Bouquet is rich and complex, with subtle floral scent, fine citrus, hints of berry fruit, a touch of vanilla and toasty brioche. It delivers generously on the promise offered on the nose. Refined, yet focused citrus, green apple and background red berry flavours, crisply bright acidity and firm mineral grip contrast with sensations of weight and creamy richness. Once again, Benjamin Bridge delivers a worthy competitor to classic Champagne.
Clear medium-deep garnet. Forward nose of blueberry jam, seared meat, caramel, a hint of varnish. On the palate there are ripe but tart, fresh-tasting mashed berries with earthy herbal notes. In the tradition of wine from this region, it has plenty of alcohol. Drink now, won’t get better.