Niagara Trip - July 14-15

Cave Spring Promenade

We dropped our 6 month old pup, a shih-tsu named Jesse, off at our niece's in Burlington with all of the paraphernalia a playful furry whirling dervish has then we were underway for Niagara Peninsula and Wine Country.

Our plan was to pick up a few more wines tasted in June from

Picking a Fudge Sample

Daniel Lenko's winery then try as many samples from the wineries nearby biding our time until checking in to The Inn on the Twenty for a rest, supper and an overnight. We had been to Graze the Bench in June so concentrated on wineries further along King Street (Hwy 81).

Tawse Winery

Now with eighteen 'Lenko' bottles in the trunk we stopped at Malivoire, Tawse, Creekside and 13th Street (closed Sundays) then to Cave Spring in Jordan. On the Monday we were back at 13th

Creekside Winery

Street then to Pillitteri in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The plan was to include several more in NotL however the heat and humidity cut short our travels.

13th Street Winery

Our stay at The Inn on the Twenty treated us to an excellent four course meal followed by a quiet overnight waking to a French toast/sausage-plus-extras breakfast reviving us for the next round of wineries.
The CS Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay Dolomite with the dinner convinced us to purchase more.

Megalomaniac Tasting Room

On the return home we wound up then down the winding gravel to/from the bunker on the hill called Megalomaniac, with a style true to its name, and our way back to the concrete and asphalt of the QEW. Wines purchased at the wineries are listed below as well as a previous blog entry.


Cheers, Ww

LISTING:

• Tawse Laundry Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2010 VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, 89  --  O, Vineland, Ontario, #Winery  $32.15
• The Academy of Spherical Arts Pinot Noir 2010 VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, 83  --  O,  Vineland, Ontario, #Winery  $20.15

• Cave Spring Estate Bottled Chardonnay Dolomite 2010 VQA Niagara Escarpment, 89-2  --  O, Jordan, Ontario, #Winery $14.95
• Malivoire Melon 2012 VQA Niagara Peninsula, 88-1  -- O,  Beamsville, Ontario, #Winery $11.95 (375mL)
• Cave Spring Estate Bottled Chenin Blanc 2011 VQA Beamsville Bench, 87-1  -- O, Jordan, Ontario, #Winery $15.90
• Malivoire Chardonnay 2010 VQA Niagara Peninsula, 86  --  O, Beamsville, Ontario, #Winery  $8.95 (375mL) 
• Malivoire Pinot Gris 2011 VQA Niagara Peninsula, 85 --  O, Beamsville, Ontario, #Winery  $19.95

(V - Vintages, G - General listing, O - Other, r-v - rating-value, a - aerated)

TASTINGS:

MALIVOIRE PINOT GRIS 2011 VQA Niagara Peninsula,  Beamsville, Ontario, 12.0% D  2g/L,  #Winery  $19.95  (Tasted July 26, 2013)
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Purchased from the winery on July 14, 2013. My notes: The 2012 vintage was released by Vintages on March 2, 2013. A delicate floral on opening adding a faint melon scent before fading. The colour is a polished pale yellow. A fragmented rim builds then recedes forming lacy patterns on the glass. Viscous on the tongue with a refreshing acid, a fresh melon apple then a touch  of dry mineral at the end. Acid and texture carries the day when served as a sipper or as a complement with seafoods. A welcomed summer cooler - I'd add an orange squeeze, a maraschino and one cube for interest, but that's me. A drink now. 85
 
MALIVOIRE CHARDONNAY 2010 VQA Niagara Peninsula, Beamsville, Ontario, 13.0%  XD   2.6g/L,  #Winery  $8.95 (375mL), (Tasted August 10, 2013)
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Purchased from the winery on July 14, 2013.  The 2008 vintage was part of a previous Vintages release (375mL, #960765) and priced at $10.95.  My notes: A pale yellow with a faint vanilla lemon zest scent and a rim that quickly sheds fast legs partly fragmenting as it falls. A smooth texture adds to melon and soft lemon flavours, medium-bodied and nicely tart with a long finish ending with slight chalk while retaining the tart. A Chard for Chard drinkers - for others it may be a compromise to ABC - likely not. Cellaring for several years could work some magic. Pair with Vij's Family Chicken Curry . 86

MALIVOIRE MELON 2012 VQA Niagara Peninsula, Beamsville, Ontario, 12.0%  XD   xg/L,  #Winery  $11.95 (375mL), (Tasted August 11, 2013)
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Purchased from the winery on July 14, 2013.  My notes: This wine is not listed on the Malivoire website. A blond colour and a subtle nose, mostly citrus with a faint floral. The first sip brightens the palate with its sharpness and adds a touch of fresh Granny Smith apple both immediately appealing. The finish retains the flavour profile right to a dry end. A swirl leaves a thin viscous film with a lacy rim drained by long legs. This is a pleasing social sipper having enough flexibility to pair with fresh oysters, grilled white fish, curried dishes, crabcakes or Salmon Burgers with Hoisin and Ginger . Keep on hand for a year or two.  88 

CAVE SPRING ESTATE BOTTLED CHENIN BLANC 2011  VQA Beamsville Bench, Jordan, Ontario, 12.0% D  14.0g/L, #Winery $15.90,  (Tasted August 5, 2013)
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Purchased from the winery on July 15, 2013.  My notes: A just detectable lemon lime nose and shows a light film that slowly recedes from a minimal rim gradually fragmenting into slow tears. There's a noticeable sweetness balanced with a gentle acid and soft citrus flavours providing fullness with each sip and going into a long citrus finish both refreshing and pleasing. A partner with lightly seasoned meals, we had with Angel Hair pasta with basil, parsley, tomatoes and grilled Zippered Back shrimp . Chill for sharing with guests as a starter to a grilled seafood meal or serve with/without a lime slice on a warm summer afternoon. The sweetness would pair nicely with sushi or Asian foods. A drink now. 87

CAVE SPRING ESTATE BOTTLED CHARDONNAY DOLOMITE 2010 VQA Niagara Escarpment, Jordan, Ontario, 13.0% D  5g/L, #Winery $15.00,  (Tasted August 15, 2013)


Purchased from the winery on July 15, 2013.  A blend of 59% Chardonnay and 41% Chardonnay Musqué from the Beamsville Bench (85%), Cave Spring Vineyard and the Twenty Mile Bench (15%).  My notes:  A mid gold with a mild floral, crab apple and lemon fragrance.  A swirl leaves a firm film gradually building at the rim eventually dropping slow tears. The first sip bites with a sour crab apple flavour not excessively penetrating but sufficient to hold its own with a seafood pasta, cream or tomato - and has a silk and mineral texture. The dry mineral, not as much chalk as expected, coats the tongue while the flavour takes time to fade. A sipper for most and a buffet/meal white for everyone. 89


THE ACADEMY OF SPHERICAL ARTS PINOT NOIR 2010 VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Vineland, Ontario, 13.0%  D  xg/L, #Winery  $20.15  (Tasted July 18, 2013)

Tawse Tasting Bar

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Purchased from Tawse Winery on July 14, 2013.  My notes: Grapes from the Academy Vineyard in Vineland, Ontario and produced for the Academy by Tawse..  A charcoal tinted see-through ruby with a soft black cherry nose. The film is thin releasing many fast tears from a solid rim. The first sip is light-bodied, satin smooth with delicate tannins and matching acid. A pleasing light red cherry flavour with a bramble accent leads a long dry finish - a reasonable social sipper. Perhaps difficult to pair, I'd try vegetarian pizza, a plate of lightly sauced roasted back ribs or bbq'd pork tenderloin. A drink now and likely past peak. 83   
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TAWSE LAUNDRY VINEYARD CABERNET FRANC 2010 VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Vineland, Ontario, 13.0%  D  4g/L, #Winery  $32.15  (Tasted July 23, 2013)

Purchased from the winery on July 14, 2013. My notes: The 2009 vintage was released by Vintages (#130997, $31.95) and was rated 91 by Natalie MacLean (August 5, 2011) and 90 by Rick VanSickle  (July 27, 2011). Charcoal hued ruby opaque to view. A sniff senses warm, crushed berries and a faint presence of clove and anise. A swirl leaves a viscous film draining from a continuous rim through long, instant legs. Silky smooth, bright on the palate with a polite acid and fine tannin on the swallow for a nicely medium-bodied sipper ending on a chalk dry note. No jam here with a well presented fruity Cabernet Franc. Pair with grilled beef on the mild side. May be past cellaring.  89