This year’s NLC spring wine event was a show with mostly modest wines from Canada, United States, Argentina, and Chile. The show was sold out, but the floor was not crowded and it was easy enough to get around and taste. The lines in the show store moved quickly enough. If there was one issue, it was that many popular labels sold out early!
My main focus was to taste wines that aren’t regularly listed here, and perhaps buy a few too. I was particularly pleased with the healthy selection of well made Canadian wines at affordable prices. Below I have listed my top ranking wines as well as those which seemed to be good value buys. I expect many of them sold out during the show, but you should check around the stores in the next few weeks for any left-overs that might be of interest.
Inniskillin Okanagan Estate Riesling VQA, Canada – $18.99 – light aroma with typical riesling flavours. ♥♥
Jackson Triggs Reserve Crisp & Lively White VQA, Canada – $16.98 – a blend with gewurztraminer, so lots of flavour and good acidity. ♥♥ GV
Sumac Ridge Private Reserve Gewurztraminer VQA, Canada – $18.99 – lovely example of a gewurztraminer with lychee fruit predominating. ♥♥+
Harken Chardonnay, USA – $23.95 – fat and buttery but with supporting acidity, oak aromas develop as the glass warms. ♥♥+
Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay, USA – $29.95 – well integrated oak, juicy acidity, quite delicious. ♥♥+
Thirty Bench Riesling VQA, Canada – $22.99 – smoke, gasoline, tart and lime flavours in the mouth, fabulous; sold out in an hour. ♥♥♥
Prospect Chardonnay VQA, Canada – $17.99 – good balance, fruity nose, crisp. ♥♥ GV
Fern Walk Sauvignon Blanc, Canada – $19.98 – sweet hay aromatics, delicious juicy acidity. ♥♥+
Mission Hill Reserve Chardonnay, Canada – $25.99 – buttery, lengthy finish, crisp acidity. ♥♥
Terrazas de Los Andes Reserva Chardonnay, Argentina – $24.98 – matchstick aroma, good acidity, reticent fruit. ♥♥
Rosewood Estate Unfiltered Pinot Noir, Canada – $29.97 – forest floor and sweet cherry fruit aromatics, typical acidity, lingering finish. ♥♥♥
1000 Stories Zinfandel, USA – $32.98 – massive fruity nose, somewhat sweet, but not jammy, good acidic support. ♥♥+
Windstorm Zinfandel, USA – $19.98 – good fruit with some spiciness, tad short on acidity. ♥♥
Navigator Cabernet Sauvignon, USA – $19.98 – nice sweet fruit with surprising melon component. ♥♥
Chronic Cellars Purple Paradise, USA – $24.98 – loaded with spice, black fruit, and alcohol! ♥♥+
Inniskillin Okanagan Estate Shiraz Cabernet VQA, Canada – $19.98 – herbal edge to huge fruit, nicely dry. ♥♥+
Jackson Triggs Reserve Rich & Robust Red VQA, Canada – $17.99 – Cab/Shiraz blend with loads of fruit and good structure. ♥♥+ GV
Sumac Ridge Private Reserve Merlot VQA, Canada – $18.99 – delicious plummy fruit. ♥♥+
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Bourbon Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon, USA – $22.99 – bourbon casks add some interesting complexity to a decent cab. ♥♥+
Thirty Bench Red VQA, Canada – $27.98 – Bordeaux blend red with ripe fruit and quite dry, reminds you of quality Chilean cab. ♥♥
Black Hills Syrah, Canada – $49.87 – smooth, balanced, elegant, restrained, just wonderful. ♥♥♥
Conviction “the Priest” Pinot Noir, Canada – $26.98 – surprisingly good pinot noir. ♥♥
Kenwood Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon, USA – $21.99 – very good for an entry level Cal Cab. ♥♥+
McMichael Group of Seven Cabernet Merlot, Canada – $19.98 – ripe fruit in well structured wine. ♥♥+
13th Street “Burger Blend” Red, Canada – $19.97 – a blend of pinot noir and gamay this is surprising delicious and drinkable. ♥♥+
Prospect Cabernet Merlot VQA, Canada – $17.99 – wonderful cassis aromatics. ♥♥+ GV
Mission Hill Reserve Meritage, Canada – $29.97 – everything you want in this Bordeaux style wine, well balanced. ♥♥+
Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel, USA – $29.97 – delicious big fruit, but well balanced with length finish. ♥♥+
Vinas Don Martin Gaucho Malbec, Argentina – $19.98 – amazing fruit in excellent balance with structure and alcohol. ♥♥♥ GV
Terrazas de Los Andes Reserva Malbec, Argentina – $24.98 – big fruity wine. ♥♥+
Santa Carolina Herencia 2011, Chile – $79.98 – a carmenere blend which will fool many fine wine lovers as to its pedigree. ♥♥♥
Casablanca Nimbus Merlot, Chile – $24.98 – outstanding flavours, well made. ♥♥♥
Casablanca Céfiro Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile – $16.98 – amazingly good Cab at this price. ♥♥♥ GV
Casablanca Nimbus Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile – $26.98 – the Céfiro was great, but this one was off the charts! ♥♥♥
We had been interested in setting a date for a dinner and tasting with our two close-by friends, but it was derailed by the recent omicron surge! Instead, we arranged to dine separately, but using the same wine selection, and then connect on Zoom over the dessert wine and discuss the wines, and the match […]
Read More
Great notes Steve! very useful