Neil Phillips

Château La Fleur Pourret 2009, Ac Saint émilion Grand Cru

Deep ruby with garnet starting to show on the edges.

An austere nose as far as intensity - but lots going on with aromas of horse blanket, dark plum, blackberry, geranium, leather, mocha, mint.

On the palate, well-integrated medium+ tannins and acid. Flavours of prunes, dates, plum chutney, cremini mushrooms, chocolate, baking spices, dried blackberry. Nice long finish.

This is starting to show some age and drinking well, but could age a bit longer.

Tasted October 2016.

De Chanceny Crémant De Loire Rosé Brut, A.C.

Here's a great way everyone can enjoy sparkling wines more often - and this value wine is perfect for the summer.

Pale salmon in colour, nose of red fruits dominated by ripe strawberries, with a hint of current/herbs.

Aggressive mousse lends a slight creaminess in the mouth. Vibrant on the palate, the slight savoury notes keeps this in relative balance. Medium finish.

Great value everyday summer sparkler.

Tasted June 2015

Vitteaut Alberti Crémant De Bourgogne, Crémant De Bourgogne

Clear, pale salmon. Medium+ intensity on the nose with strawberry, tart cherry, biscuits, floral, almonds, hint of nutmeg, yeast.

Dry, with medium+ acid and medium body. Flavours of strawberry, tart cherry, brioche, lemon zest, pink grapefruit, red apple. A brioche note adds complexity.

Astounding value.

Tasted November 2016.

Tawse Spark Limestone Ridge Riesling 2013, VQA Twenty Mile Bench

Riesling sparkling offers a much more fruit-forward profile, and Tawse's offering is a well-made example that delivers.

On the nose, several variety of apples mingle (golden delicious and green and Spartan), with subdued honeysuckle notes. Lime zest is there, and some fresh bread.

On the palate, nice zippy acidity, and follows through from the nose nicely. Lots of apple, some minerality on the finish, persistent medium-fine mousse. Nice long citrus finish.

With a bit of extra time in bottle, I find the fruit has integrated a bit more than the 2014.

Tasted February 2016.

Alta Alella Cava Brut Nature Privat Reserva 2011

Nose of apple, lemon, baguette crust.

Intense green apple on the palate, with lemon zest. Sharp acidity, finishes medium+ in length. This is a great sparkling for food.

Nice value, and a sharper version of Cava than we usually see here.

Tasted October 2016.

E. Guigal Côtes Du Rhône Blanc 2011, Ac

Reliable wine from a consistent producer.

Light gold in colour. Aromas of ripe peach, apricot, marzipan.

Creamy mouthfeel, more white peach than yellow, apricot, (bitter) almond. Medium finish, perhaps a tad short in this vintage.

A pleasant wine, good value.

Tasted June 2014.

Henry Of Pelham Rose 2012, VQA Niagara Peninsula

Dark salmon to red in colour.

Notes of cherry, cranberry and a hint of white pepper.

On the palate, this dry wine has nice zippy acidity to carry the fruit, and finishes crisply.

A well-made Ontario rose, there`s enough acid to go with a variety of foods.

Summerhill Pyramid Winery Cipes Brut, BC VQA Okanagan Valley

Cipes is a blend of Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc.

Nose of golden delicious and Granny Smith apples, pear, brioche, Meyer lemon zest.

On the palate, lemony citrus zest mingles with the apples. Notes of white nectarine comes through on continued drinking. The time on lees brings added depth of bread notes, white mushrooms. Vibrant acidity, fine mousse, however a nice creamy mouthfeel as well.

As not bone-dry, this is delightful on its own, but will pair nicely with many foods - lemon roast chicken with herbs comes to mind.

Fairly complex for this price point - a winner!

Oct 2016

Domaine Chevallier Chablis 2010, Ac

Nose of lime, white grapefruit, touch of green apple and a flinty note.

On the palate, bone dry and lip-smackingly crisp. Tart lime and apple predominate, slight lemon, with a honeysuckle minerally finish that's medium-plus in length.

Would be perfect with a tray of raw oysters; I paired with chicken in puff pastry, cooked in a bit of the wine.

A classic example of why Chablis really is a much separate region from Bourgogne.

Tasted May 2015.

Domaine La Tour Vieille Reserva, Banyuls