Brad Mate

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Coonawarra, South Australia, 53rd Vintage

Very well put together wine. It's drinking very young at the moment. A wine like this needs a good ten years to develop to its full potential. It's an incredible wine for 25 bucks. Flavour, structure, balance, finish...its all there. Give it a go for sure!

Pirramimma Petit Verdot 2007, Mclaren Vale

Big, smoky, woodsy- blueberry pie, vanilla, barnyard nose. full bodied with silky tannins. Desert like, but stays fresh on the finish.

Tawse Quarry Road Chardonnay 2010, VQA Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula

Loved this wine for its fullness of character – smooth, big, ripe, lush, tropical & zesty fruits with buttery mineral notes, vanilla oak and more. Very nice long caressing finish.

Bachelder Wismer Vineyard Chardonnay 2010, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula

So complex and different. Fermented completely with the use of wild yeasts to make this a slow "nail-biting" process, says Thomas Bachelder. It’s awesome to see talented winemakers take risks! With the birth of Thomas Bachelder’s new label, his legendary abilities really shine through.

Watch the my interview with Thomas Bachelder at Cuvee 2013

niagarawinevideos.com

Rosewood Estates Natural Fermentation Reserve Pinot Noir 2009, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula

This is a sensational Niagara Pinot! Loads of crème fraiche, sweet maraschino cherries, ripe strawberries and smoky raspberries, with slight earthly undertones. It has extraordinary breadth and depth to the palate, with a long caressing finish. It’s truly one of the most delightful and delicious Pinot Noirs I have ever tasted.

Norman Hardie County Unfiltered Pinot Noir 2011, VQA Prince Edward County

Well for me, it just doesn't get any better for $35 BUCKS. This is a Beautiful expression of Pinot Noir. Lots of fresh wild raspberries and blackberries. Nicely integrated funky earthiness and a seductively suave body. This wine has it all!

Rolly Gassmann Rotleibel De Rorschwihr Auxerrois 2007, Ac Alsace

If you enjoy late harvest wines you will adore this. Although I prefer late harvest cab franc from niagara, I have to admit, this gave me some real drinking pleasure.

The Good Wine Cabernet Franc 2012, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore

Soft & medium bodied. Cherry tobacco flavors dominate.

Norman Hardie County Unfiltered Pinot Noir 2013, VQA Prince Edward County

It's pretty amazing someone in Ontario (PEC) can aspire to such an elegant, luscious, suave, balanced and sophisticated Pinot Noir. The only issue here is the price, but I guess Pinot is over priced in most markets.

Nada Giuseppe Casot Barbaresco 2012, Docg

I found this really tight at the moment, making it hard to pull out flavors. It's thin but structured with a very suave mouth feel. I'll have to revisit this in a couple of years.