George Vona

La Jota Howell Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

The proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. The colour is rich, inky dark garnet with ruby right to the edge of the meniscus. There’s great depth of luxurious flavours of blackcurrant, black raspberry jam (with hints of graphite) hiding those immense tannins. Barely evolved even after 7 years. Plush but with good grip, elegant despite the voluptuousness. This is majesterial wine.

Bachelder Wismer Foxcroft "Nord" Chardonnay 2019, VQA Twenty Mile Bench

OMG. Aromas of orchard fruit and flint simply burst out of the glass. Tight on the palate at first but unwinds as the evening progresses. Luscious orchard fruit butressed by tantalizing acidity. Off the charts salinity and a finish that stretches across Lake Ontario.

Clemens Busch Marienburg Kabinett Riesling 2013, Prädikatswein

I actually tasted the Auslese tonight. 2015 vintage. What a wine! I found this on sale at the Crossroads Vintages, probably a Classics Catalogue delisting. Serious petrol and apricot jam on the nose. It's absolutely electric on the palate with bracing, grippy acidity, unbelievable concentration of apricot, honey, figgy flavours and slatey minerality. A finish that goes from here to eternity. 96

Bachelder Cuesta Pinot Noir 2019, VQA Twenty Mile Bench

Il Poggione Brunello Di Montalcino 2012, Docg

My kind of wine. Amber is forming on the rim now as you would expect and the room literally filled with classic
sangiovese aromas of cherries and violets when I poured the wine. Really explosive flavours here with oodles of maturing notes of leather, mushrooms, oxidation, and iron ore as you would expect from a maturing Brunello but there’s still plenty of fruit and freshness. This is big wine but elegant despite its size and it’s developing a nice silky texture. Pure Alchemy.
Long long finish from here to eternity and the big tannins starting to soften. Magisterial Tasted May 2020

Moon Curser Malbec 2018, Okanagan Valley

This is impressive wine. Inky, garnet/purple colour leads you to anticipate a saturated wine and it delivers. Aromas and flavours of classic mulberry fruit with notes of underbrush and mocha. This is big wine (15%) has very open, voluptuous rich ripe fruit but is not thick and jammy thanks to the help of fine tannins to rein it in and enough acidity for freshness. A long finish tapering to fruit candy on the end. NB The wine really filled out the day after and the substantial tannins became more apparent to me. You need to let this beast have some decanter time to really show its stuff.

Tasted July 9 and 10, 2020

Hidden Bench Riesling Roman's Block 2016, Beamsville Bench

Year in and year out this is one of the top 3 rieslings made in Ontario and my personal number one 2016 was a hot year but this RB maintains crackling acidity and classic Bench citrus and minerality. Maturing aromas of diesel are present and the mouthcoating palate shows nuances of tropical fruit and hard candy, especially on the finish that won’t quit. Tasted February 2021

Hidden Bench Locust Lane Rosé 2019, VQA Niagara Peninsula

Year after year, Hidden Bench produces one of the best pink wines on the planet and 2019 was no exception. As usual, the wine pours a lovely bright pale salmon colour. Wonderful concentration of tart red berry flavours and savoury notes is apparent but it’s the electric core of limestone minerality that grabs my attention, more prominent than I can remember from previous years. There’s great tension between the creamy texture and bracing acidity and the wine tapers off to a long savoury finish. That’s some kind of alchemy going on here.

Westcott Reserve Pinot Noir 2016, VQA Vinemount Ridge

This is textbook pinot noir. The wine is dark ruby in colour (a sign of the warm vintage?) with expressive aromas and flavours of ripe black cherry, cherry pit and baking spice. It’s full bodied and round (one might even say plush) despite the low alcohol, and there’s great depth and concentration of flavour. The finish is impressively long finish with a strong and surprising tannic grip given the ripeness. Barely evolved and obviously drunk too young. Tasted July 18, 2020

Hidden Bench Estate Riesling 2017, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment

Excellent wine but wait until you try 2019.