What I've Been Tasting - April 2025
28 Apr 2025- Details
- Category: What I'm Tasting
Scoring is out of 5 stars
The "+" sign represents a wine that has something extra about it,
but not enough to send it to the next level
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Banfi 2021 Magna Cum Lauda (Italy) 
A four-grape blend from Tuscany in the Montalcino area: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and the indigenous Sangiovese. Big barrels and smaller casks are used and the Sangiovese is allowed to show off its acidic side, while the pepperiness of Syrah is born to witness, plus the tobacco and cassis of the Cab and the fruitiness of the Merlot. A well-balanced wine that will get better with age. ($32.95 - #28469) ... ****
Baron de Hoen 2023 Pinot Blanc Reserve (France)
Pleasantly fruity up front with a touch of bitterness on the finish. I like my Pinot Blanc a little light and fresher, but this will do. ($17.95 - #446419) … *** ½
Clay Shannon 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon (California)
I know it ain’t cool right now to talk American wine, but it was in the box and so I tasted it. Pretty typical California with its fruit forward nature, slightly smoky-vanilla and dark berries, namely black cherry. It’s not available now – but maybe one day. ($29.95 - #39227) … *** ½+
Domaine de Bel-Air 2022 Les Granits Bleus – Beaujolais Villages (France)
Beaujolais is the home of Gamay and one of the best summertime reds. This is a juicy affair full of cherry-raspberry and a sprinkling of pepper. Full on yum. Chill and enjoy. ($19.95 - #42221) … ****
Evans & Tate 2018 Big Berry Hullabaloo (Australia)
I’m usually a fan of Margaret River Cab, this one left me a little colder than I was expecting: smoky with cassis, earthy and even more extra-cirricular woodsy notes. It’s good, but there is better out there. ($19.95 - #41312) … *** ½
Flat Rock 2015 Twisted White (Ontario)
Twisted is all three white grapes Flat Rock grows: Chardonnay, Riesling and Gewurztraminer. This was delivered to my door and I opened it without looking at the vintage. There was a slight petrol nose, but it played well with some floral nuances. Slightly sweet, but with well balanced acid punch and a great length. Tasted slightly aged, but still fresh – then I looked at the date. For a ten year old wine it is even better than I originally thought. (check with winery) … *** ½+
Gerard Bertrand 2023 Viognier Reserve Speciale (France)
There are notes of tropical fruit upfront and on the mid-palate, if not for it being little muted on the nose, which then translates to the finish. Needs an hour to open, so be prepared to sit with it. ($16.95 - #147975) … *** ½
Henry of Pelham 2023 Sauvignon Blanc – The Shadow Rock (Ontario) 
Notes of guava, lemon and lime, while the finish delivers some pear and lime; quite different than your usual Savvy B – but a nice change. ($21.95 - #38154) … *** ½+
Nyarai 2021 Cadence (Ontario)
A Bordeaux-style blend that shows the vintage. The addition of Malbec is an interesting one here ... Good fruit to tannin ratio, but also a hint of vegetative gives it depth. ($25.95 - #451781) … *** ½
Palatine Hills 2020 Overtime Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Ontario)
Tasted through 10 wines from Palatine and this was the best of the batch: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged three-and-a-half years in one new puncheon (large) and 2 neutral barrique, small barrels (one American, one French); it’s a ballsy choice for a vintage of this calibre. A silky yet smoky wine with notes of black cherry and cassis. There’s a lovely balance of acidity and the tannins play well with the fruit. ($79.95 – winery only) … ****+
Palatine Hills NV “Apres Ski” Salted Caramel Cream Wine Liqueur (Ontario)
The winery describes it this way, “a rare and indulgent blend of rich cream and wine, kissed with the perfect hint of caramel.” They are not wrong. It’s a delicate balance to find the right mix of cream to “wine” – but they have found it: fortified wine to 40% with the addition of cream to bring it to 17% abv. This is one hell of a product that once you taste it, you’ll be back for more again-and-again-and-again. A super-indulgent, guilty pleasure – something to love apres “ski”: whether on snow or water. ($14.95 / 375ml – winery only) … **** ½
Vigna di Pettineo 2023 Frappato Vittoria Sicilia (Italy)
Lots of fruitiness. A chillable wine that is light and fresh with notes of cherry and strawberry; good acidity: easy and sippable. ($25.95 - #42947) ... *** ½
Wakefield 2022 Jaraman Cabernet Sauvignon (Australia)
A perennial favorite; a wine under $25 that delivers like it’s double the price. This year’s version is fruit driven and bold; but more drink now than hold. Big cassis, blackberry and black cherry rule the roost. ($24.95 - #142398) … *** ½
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Some OLD Wines that impressed …
Masi 2013 Costasera Amarone DOC (Italy) 
I want to close this report off with some of the amazing wines I drank earlier in the month; let’s call it my wines of the month. I’ve had older Amarone in my life, but this 12 year old Masi was all I had hoped for and more. This OG of Amarone wines just did the trick and no one does this drying-trick like they do in Veneto; apologies to all those copycats here in Ontario and abroad. You can only hope ... Smooth, silky, deep and dark fruited at its core. A lovely bottle and if you have any in the cellar – pull it, it’s drinking lovely right now.
Antinori 2017 Tignanello (Italy)
Even a rainy evening could not dampen the beauty of this wine, some may think it was opened way too early, but you can always open a wine “too” early, it’s a shame to open a wine too late. This had all the making of a dinner wine, but we finished it long before dinner was ready. Dinner was just forgotten as we all got lost in the discussion of how good it was. The fruit was dark and layered, while the oak was barely noticeable. Drinking perfectly right now.
Chateau St Jean 1999 Cinq Cepages (California)
In Canada, we can’t buy any US booze, but what about drinking them? Found this at the back of the closet and wondered how in the hell I had missed it all these years. Good thing I had, it was lovely. The fruit was fading, but it certainly was hanging on and there was a vibrant acidity that livened everything up. As it opened the fruit almost seemed to roar back on the mid-palate. It was smooth and fruity and wonderful. 26 years – jumpin’.
Le Macchiole 2008 Messorio (Italy)
A Tuscan Merlot from the region of Bolgheri. I admire what they are doing in that region, but I was sceptical about a Merlot of this age; I should not have been. I did a little research and found they used 75% new oak barrique here, not surprising for the time; and it showed through in the early stages of drinking this wine. Sooner or later it did smooth out and the tannin grip turned to being a background character instead of an in-your-face hassle. The fruit was still vibrant and there was plenty of acidity to go around. This one still has a few years to go, but glad I caught it early (see remarks in the Tig note).
Bachelder 2018 Gamay Noir – Wismer Foxcroft (Ontario)
Ending this part of the report with something local. I remember when I first learned Thomas B was working with Gamay, I thought I was going to fall out of my chair. The devout Chard and Pinot -phile was falling for Gamay, good for him. I see he’s just released his newest line of 2023 single vineyard Gamays, 10 in total – which prompted me to head into the cellar to see what I could try. This would be 7 years old now and it was still lovely with loads of up-front red fruit: cherry, strawberry and red currants all seasoned up with a shake of white pepper; super-fresh and lively, still. Not sure I’d want to hold it any longer; what would be the point.
