What I've Been Tasting - July 2026
20 Jul 2026- 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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80X Wine Company 2023 Ruff Pinot Noir (Ontario) 
Juicy cranberry, raspberry,with delicate tannins; chill and enjoy a glass or two.
$29.99 – online - (****)
Domaine Laroche 2023 St. Martin Chablis (France)
Pretty mineral, and austere, with lots of stone fruit.
$34.70 – #289124 - (*** ½+)
Henry Of Pelham 2023 Speck Family Reserve Pinot Noir (Ontario)
Mocha kicks things off then hits some savoury moments before giving up blackberry and coffee; very un-Pinot-Noir-like, but still quite tasty.
$47.95 - #2657874 - (****)
Luigi Bosca 2023 La Linda Private Selection Old Vines (Argentina)
Smoky, blackberry, black cherry, savoury and spicy. Layers in some plum and nice integration of tannins. At its core this wime develops blue fruit and never gives up. For a wine at 14% alcohol, yet it's quite juicy and appealing.
$17.00 - #507442 - (****+)
Sidewood 2021 Stablemate Shiraz (Australia)
Juicy, smoky, vanilla, blackberry, mocha, with some savoury, and smoked meat notes - the finish showcases a pleasant raspberry note.
$17.95 – #12846 - (****+)
Stonewall Estates 2023 Cabernet Franc (Ontario) 
A little alcohol shows through here, but the tobacco, herbal, and slightly spicy notes add to the dark fruit, and it helps. I like the nice long finish.
$30.00 – winery - (****)
Stonewall Estates 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon (Ontario)
Greenness on the mid-palate, mocha, black cherry, decent tannins, medium finish. It’s okay.
$35.00 – winery - (*** ½)
Stonewall Estates 2023 Farmers Red - Merlot-Cabernet (Ontario)
Basic and easy red wine for any mainstream occasion. Mainly black fruit with a touch of red in the background.
$20.00 – winery - (*** ½)
Stonewall Estates 2023 Pinot Gris (Ontario)
Lime, lemon, and apple. It’s pleasant with good balancing acidity.
$18.00 – winery - (*** ½)
Stonewall Estates 2023 Riesling (Ontario)
Good style, with lemony, peachy notes; there's a little citrus rind, mineral, and talc. Juicy and fruity.
$17.00 – winery - (*** ½)
Strewn Wines 2020 Assemblage (Ontario)
46% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Franc, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon ... Juicy and spicy with blackberry and cassis. The oak is fighting to the surface, but that fruit keeps pushing it back. A tense battle here.
$34.00 – winery - (*** ½+)
Strewn Wines 2022 Cabernet Franc, Premium (Ontario)
Juicy, black fruit, black raspberry, cassis, black cherry, easy and smooth, very approachable. One-third new oak, and aged in a mix of French, American and a touch of Canadian.
$32.00 - winery - (****)
Strewn 2020 Cabernet Franc, Terroir (Ontario)
Smoky and woodsy fruit aromas, there's also some tobacco; with good cocoa-tobacco notes on the palate. A little too woodsy and smoky at times with some really intense aromas. There’s fruit hiding in that tobacco field.
$85.00 – winery - (*** ½+)
Strewn Wines 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Terroir (Ontario)
Big mocha-cherry, lush and dark fruited; plus vanilla and cinnamon spice. Acidity spikes in the middle, but the fruit makes up for it on the finish. Really elegant.
$85.00 – winery - (****+)
Strewn Wines 2023 Chardonnay Musqué, Distinctive Small Lot (Ontario)
Floral and pleasant, with good acidity, and subtle sweetness.
$24.00 – winery - (*** ½)
Strewn Wines 2020 Meritage - Distinctive Small Lot French Oak (Ontario)
75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon ... Merlot smoothness comes across as silky. Punchy acidity with raspberry, and cherry fruit. This is an interesting wine, although we did taste two bottles that were off back-to-back. Corked and oxidized, respectively. There is a beware factor here.
$40.00 - winery - (*** ½+)
Strewn Wines 2020 Merlot - Distinctive Small Lot Canadian Oak (Ontario)
Really juicy, subtle herbaciousness, lots of cherry, some kirsch, and then notes of blackberry, mocha, borders milk chocolate, with gentle spice. This is one of those wines you'll find both crushable, abd more-ish. Complex yet elegant.
$40.00 - winery - (****+)
Strewn Wines 2024 Sauvignon Blanc, Terroir (Ontario)
Leans New Zealand in style with tropical, zesty and refreshing notes. This is a complete patio sipper.
$26.00 – winery - (*** ½+)
Strewn Wines 2020 Strewn Three (Ontario)
Big, bold, and delicious, with smoky mocha and cherry, black cherry, blackberry, coffee, it's complex and elegant with lots of fruit and spice battling it out for supremacy on the palate. This is Strewn's answer to Cain Five. They've nailed a very good Caadian version. 24 months in oak, both American and French. Blend is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc.
$88.00 - winery - (**** ½)
Studio Gamay 2020 Ella Gamay 
A Gamay from 33 year old vines, for Ontario that’s basically old vines designation. Nice toasty flavour, dark fruit, black cherry, pleasant, and savoury. A chill would make this even better.
$27.00 – Crush Studio - (****+) … sold out
Wakefield 2022 Jaraman Shiraz (Australia)
Juicy, blackberry, blueberry, white pepper, black cherry, vanilla, coffee and dark plum. Very playful, fruit-driven and smooth. Lots of layers.
$24.95 - #377036 - (****+) … sold out
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