Da Ne

Prà Monte Grande Soave Classico 2014, Doc

One of the best Soave's i've had. Fresh apple pear and lemon with loads of mouth watering mineralty and acidity. Great wine

Hidden Bench Têté De Cuvée Chardonnay 2013, VQA Beamsville Bench

Outstanding chardonnay with loads of ripe fruit and mineral notes. Lots going on and the oak is well integrated, but this will surely improve over time. Despite the concentration it is still a bit tense, but it is a bomb.

Domaine Sigalas Santorini 2016, Santorini

Another great assyrtiko from this island, young and tense, deep saline mineral presence, it shines on the palate. Most impressive is the way they exude the aromas of the terroir, distinctly Mediterranean while being distinct among the many mineral driven counterparts from along its shores.

La Chablisienne Château Grenouilles Chablis Grand Cru 2012

Still young, oak is well integrated but present, green/honey/pear/nutty vanilla..complex aromas and rich but focused flavor. Excellent

Château De Montifaud X.O.

Caramelized fruit flavors/vanilla/oak.

Pietranera Brunello Di Montalcino 2012, Docg

A style of brunello that I have been enjoying quite a bit as of late. It is lighter and less "substantial" than "higher end" brunello's. That said, the sweet fruit, spicy, herbal and almost woody character...along with its elegance and "drinkability" have me drinking this more often than I would those all too often oak laden and sometimes creamy wines that so many seem to love. These relatively inexpensive alternatives are, for my palate, oftentimes more enjoyable than the pian dellla vigne, casanova di neri and others of that more modern (often more complex) style. A value

Domaine Thymiopoulos Terre Et Ciel Xinomavro 2015, Unfiltered, Naoussa

One of the stars of the recent Greek tasting in Montreal, this shows beautiful savory herbal and earth driven character, good complexity and drinkability. Great expression of place.

Ungava Canadian Premium Gin

Le Serre Nuove Dell’ornellaia 2017, Bolgheri

This seems to have less nuance and precison than previous vintages. It has some good jammy fruit, but is off-balance (oak/jam/acidity) and does not show purity or vibrancy. You would think the winemaking style would sway more toward purity at this point.

Antinori Pian Delle Vigne Brunello Di Montalcino 2013, Docg

This pale colored Brunello jumps out the glass wiht aromas of lifted sour cherry/red fruit, tabbacco, citrus peel and an irony/mineral character. The wine pops on the palate, the acid is very high but carries the flavors through down to the finish with elegance and power. It is juicy, complex, and altogether a winner. I would love to pop one of these every couple of years to taste the (almost certainly) great future ahead of it. I am usually not a fan of big production that rests on pedigree, but this juice is near perfect