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Palatine Hills Wild & Free Sémillon 2021, Niagara Lakeshore

2023 vintage. Elegant white features a generous aromatic profile and firm acidity with flavours of peach, lemon, and green apple blossom.

Double thumbs up, big fav of K's.

Megalomaniac Narcissist Riesling 2021, VQA Niagara Peninsula

Château Teyssier 2020, Ac Montagne Saint émilion

This a great value cellaring find from the Saint Emilion satellite of Montagne. A traditional, sturdy, tannic example with a ferrous-iron, bloody character amid intense and complexity blackberry/blackcurrant, herbaceous, shrubby, fennel and cedary notes - all of which would lead me to cabernet sauvignon in a blind tasting. But in fact it is mostly merlot (85%) with cab franc at 15%. It is medium-full bodied with a certain depth, complexity and intensity - even a luxuriousness - that reaches beyond its price station.

Creekside Iconoclast Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2024, VQA Niagara Peninsula

Near equal blend of sauvignon blanc and sémillion, done up in barrel, come away kissed and without excess. White burgundy style blend. Clean, quite pure, a bissel phenolic and appropriately so. A silky and suave style with fine appeal.

R's favourite white from Creekside - double thumbs up.

Hidden Bench Terroir Caché Unfiltered 2017, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario

47% Merlot, 29% Malbec, and 24% Cabernet Franc, organically grown. The nose is lifted and very pretty with plummy/mulberry fruit, florals, fresh herbs and well knit vanilla and oak spice. It is medium-full bodied, with good density and a certain buoyancy and freshness that works very well. The fruit focus and concentration are excellent.

Daou Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Paso Robles

Trasqua Fanatico Riserva Chianti Classico 2018, Docg

OK with pasta, not a great choice as a sipper

Quails' Gate Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay 2019, BC VQA Okanagan Valley

Fantastic - smooth, creamy, long silky finish

Bachelder L'Il Kirby A.k.a.kirby East Gamay Noir (52% Whole Cluster) 2024, Cru De Niagara VQA Four Mile Creek

Note - 2023 vintage. From the Four Mile Creek VQA. Fruity and a bit riper, with less earth and minerality, than their bench offerings. 53% whole cluster.

Cathedral Cellar Cabernet-sauvignon 2024, Western Cape

Elegant, juicy and well structured cabernet. It is dry with ripe but not overripe fruit aromas and flavours. Very smooth with aromas of black cherry and cassis fruit with graphite, black olive and mild oak spice plus floral and herbal notes.