Weingut Max Müller I. 2011 Silvaner Eigenart (Germany)

I got this wine on a trip to Germany and was very impressed with this barrel aged Silvaner which had quite a lot of structure on both the nose and palate; but it seems that wines in other countries tend to taste much better when you are there but when you get home they go completely south.  But this time I got happily-lucky:  aromas of vanilla from the barrel intermingle with lemon and lime citrus fruit ... which is quite alluring.  Palate also mixes barrel and fruit in an enticing and exciting display on the palate - nice creamy vanilla note dance on the tongue with citrus and pleasant palate pleasing acidity.  On the finish was some nice lime pith bitterness that balanced everything out.

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com website ...catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more.  

Wines of New Year's Eve 2013 (Germany / California / Ontario)

New Year's Eve to me has always been a time for pulling out an older bottle of wine, and then after that it's a free-for-all.  We started with ordering Chinese food from our favourite place, it took almost two hours for us to finally sit down and eat it, and we picked it up (they were just that busy), and to pair with it I chose a bottle of St. Urbans-Hof 2005 Riesling Kabinett, which was a real beauty: nose of apricot, hints of petrol, and a lovely bit of lime cordial; on the palate we found peach, pear, and apricot, flavours along with sweet lime notes which all lead to a nice long, lingering finish. The wine, although 8 years old still tasted fresh with that signature Mosel sweetness, but always backed by great balancing acidity.  My wife stuck with Riesling after the Urbans-Hof bottle was finished, opting for an Ontario beauty in the form of a Featherstone 2012  Black Sheep Riesling.  I went in another direction and picked out another Dave selection: an Elusiv Cellars 2010 Pinot Noir (Monterey County) from the wine fridge.  Now, for those who have been following along this holiday season, you'll be glad to know the Elusiv is more Pinot-esque than my last bottle of "Pinot Noir" (Belle Glos Meiomi) ... nose is very raspberry, with black cherry and plum backing it up; as it warmed beets and white pepper also showed up.  On the palate were sour cherries, black cherries and clove backed by good acidity, and some typical Pinot earthiness.  As midnight rolled up on us I pulled a bottle of Hinterland 2009 Rose (from Prince Edward County) out of the fridge, which had been chilling most of the day - I managed to pop the cork at the exact moment the countdown reached zero - perfect sparkling to ring in 2014 ... Happy New Year - we left the old year with a magnificent Riesling and brought in the new with a marvelous bit of bubbly.

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com website ...catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more.

Ten Birthday Wines - Starring a 1970 Bordeaux (France, Germany, Ontario, California)

'Twas the night of my birthday and friends were in the house - bottles of wine were opened and here's what we had:

Starting with a Dr. Burklin Wolf 2004 Riesling, which was quite an interesting older German Riesling full of honey and waxy notes with some apricot pit ... this was the first dead soldier of the night (some wines did not get finished).  Other whites of the night were a Thirty Bench 2012 Riesling, Chateau des Charmes 2010 St. David's Bench Chardonnay, Cave Spring 2012 Dolomite Chardonnay, Vineland 2011 Elevation Riesling, and a Vineland 2005 Dry Riesling (this one did not show well).  Speaking of not showing well, we also opened a bottle of Ruhlmann 2004 Sylvaner Bouquet Printanier - Cuvee Prestige, sealed with a cheese-o plastic cork, this wine should never have spend this long in my cellar, nor should it have been opened tonight - this wine should have stayed lost.

Surprisingly, only two reds were opened, a Tom Eddy 2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which proved to be a delightful wine, well aged, well balanced but certainly not the star of the night ... on any other night maybe, but tonight it was a 43 year old Bordeaux that stole the show.  The Chateau Gruaud Larose 1970 Grand Vin was absolutely stunning, considering its age.  To the average everyday wine drinker this is going to sound unappealing, but to wine geeks (like a couple around the table tonight) this wine kept changing and opening and giving different aspects of its character that were admirable: starting with Band-aid and forest floor on the nose and a bit on the palate, there were also welcome (and surprising) hints of raspberry that appeared, not strong, but subtle and appealing.  No doubt the wine is very mature, but still very drinkable. The most surprising part is the acidity, which still stood up and kept the wine "fresh" or at least the palate from getting tired.  The biggest and best compliment I can give this wine is that it is savoury and sexy - in its own kinda way.  This is only the second wine I have ever had from my birth-year, this time it was extra special cause it was my actual birthday.

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com website ...catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more.

Darting 2006 Riesling Spatlese - Ungsteiner Herrenberg (Germany)

Riesling doesn't get anymore chuggable than this one on a hot day ... this Darting 2006 Spatlese was just the ticket as the sun beat down.  Now Spatlese can be somewhat of a gamble in the heat (or anytime), too sweet and it's syrupy, too dry and ... let's just go with the sweet part, dry Riesling is good anytime.  This Darting is a delight at 7 years of age, the nose has peach and apricots rolled in with a lick of honey and lemon.  Taste follows the nose to a tee and still with enough acidity to cleanse the palate leaving enough sweetness behind for a long finish that gets you craving the next sip - quite delicious.

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com website ...catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more.

Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt 2002 Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese (Germany)

From the name alone you can probably tell this is a German wine ... thanks to two colliding incidents today I find myself drinking a bottle of von Kesselstatt Spatlese.  One: today was the day of the German wine tasting in Toronto, over 100 wines of which 90% were Riesling - you would expect after leaving such a tasting that one would have no interest in tasting Riesling for quite some time, but that's where you are wrong, it only whet the appetite for something aged and interesting in the Riesling department.  Two: on my way home from the tasting I tweeted from the train a choice of wines I was thinking of drinking, one was a local Gamay, the other a German Riesling (which I was pairing with fish) ... within seconds of posting my friend Alex Good from Calgary wrote back: "Riesling.  Pick the Riesling."  And so the table was set for the Reichsgraf.  And how right he was.  At 11-years-old this wine showed very little sign of its age, in fact the only thing my wife noted, when I poured her a glass, was the wine seemed dark in colour ... golden.  From there it was all uphill ... the nose was apple and apricot with some lemon rind and minerality showing through.  The palate just made you want to take sip after sip, and at only 8% alcohol it was so easy to do.  A lovely sweetness filled the mouth mixing with it apricot, pear and some intense sweet lemon notes - my wife called it "apple juice" - but there was so much more here.  The acidity helped to balance it out, but it did not get in the way of the gulpability of this wine ... I think my Riesling-loving friend, Alex, would have loved this one ... my wife will stick to her dry Rieslings ... but there's something to be said for a well-made, well-executed Spatlese that one just can't quite put into words except to say: "you've got to try this."

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com website ...catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more.

Final Dinner at the ACWC (Germany / California / Italy / France)

It's the last night of the All Canadian Wine Championship and as usual we meet at a restaurant with a BYOW license and many of the judges have something they want to showcase.  The first that shows off something interesting is a bottle of Dr. Hermann 2007 Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese an absoultely gorgeous Riesling that a real balanced beauty that is just a fabulous pairing with the butternut squash soup (and not bad with the mussels).  The Banfi 2010 Centine is a good bridge wine that seems to be fruity enough to pair with the beet salad; juicy red berries that prove to be supple and succulent.  The main is beef tenderloin and the choice is between the Domaine du Pegau 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape or the Enkidu 2010 Diener Ranch Red Hills, Lake County Zinfandel, both an excellent pairing with the beef.  The Pegau was earthy with plenty of dark fruit, this bottle had plenty of life left in it as it was a 1500ml bottle, so we popped the cork way to early, but all are thankful it made its way to the table (thanks AG).  The Zinfandel was a beauty of a plummy, spicy wine with 15.6% alcohol that was smooth and sexy.  Another great year at the ACWC where I believe Ontario should have done much better than in previous years.  Next year we'll do it all again, with more great Canadian wines and great international bottles for dinner.

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com website ...catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more.

Dr. Loosen 2011 Red Slate Dry Riesling

A rainy Saturday, and as we tried to figure out what to have for dinner we opened a bottle of Dr. Loosen 2011 Red Slate Dry Riesling.  I am a fan of Loosen wines, not all the time mind you but I find myself liking these wines more often then not.  This was one of those wines that I thought was quite a lot of fun and interesting when I tasted it during the Vintages media tasting here in Ontario (which is when the media gets to taste the wines prior to their release).  There seemed to be a bit of effervescence on the tongue initially, I would think that comes from the wine being under screwcap and not how the wine was intended, as the fizziness seemed to dissipated within about 15 minutes.  What it left us with was lemon, and lime peel with hints of mineral kicking in and out from sip to sip and a lovely seem of mac apple that also seemed to be dancing around those citrus zest notes.

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com website ...catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more. 

Winebow 2011 Clean Slate Riesling (Germany)

These days it takes a greater education to read a back label than it does a German front label - both can be extremely confusing and sometimes you just never seem to get to the bottom of anything.  I was studying the back label of this bottle and still to this moment have no idea who the producer is ... a quick check of the LCBO website and I see its Moselland (but I have caught them with errors in the past) ... Winebow seems to be who ordered up this wine to be made, so for the moment let's go with that.  This is quite the pleasant German Riesling from the Mosel region.  The nose was full of peach, green apple with hints of lime and nice mineral notes.  When cold the wine is crisp and minerally, has a green apple mixed with delicious apple undertones and all is wrapped with a hint of sweetness and good acidic balance.  I noticed that as the wine warmed to a "cool" temperature the wine lost a little of the bracing acidty and green apple and instead went all peach and delicious apple- easier to drink for those that don't dig on acid.  Well priced here in Ontario at $12.95.

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com website ...catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more.

Kendermanns 2004 Kalkstein (Germany)

A hot summer day, fish for dinner and a Riesling on the tasting menu.  An older Kendermann that I once enjoyed but was interested to see what age would do ... and it has improved this wine dramatically as it is better than I remember.  The nose has the merest hint of petrol with lively mineral and peach pit.  The taste was amazing with the mineral taking center stage with green apple on the mid-palate and hints of fresh, ripe pineapple on the finish with some really zesty acidity from both fruits in all the right places. There was a medium-length to the finish that just made you want to keep sipping.  I was really impressed with this wine.

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com website ...catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more. 

Double Shot of Delicious (Germany / California)

A lazy Sunday afternoon filled with friends, sun and leftovers.  And yes I was bellying up again to the pulled pork trough from last night, but before that we'd poured something very interesting for our guests.  The afternoon began with a Furst Lowenstein 2005 Hallgartner Schonhell Riesling Kabinett, a beautifully made Riesling that is currently 7 years old.  Honeyed apricot, poached pear, hint of orange peel and some lovely lemon zest on the back palate with great balancing sweetness ... a perfect opener for the afternoon.  But the fun did not stop there. When pulled pork is on the menu Zinfandel has to play a part, that's why I opened a bottle of Ravenswood 2009 Sonoma County Old Vines Zinfandel.  Ravenswood is a master of the Zinfandel and this one was not different ... it had complexity and paired beautifully with the pork - most prevalent of the flavours: plum and chocolate, but there was black cherry, hints of cola and the right amount of spice.

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com website ...catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more.

Winzer Sommerach 2009 Experiment W (Germany)

Hoodwinked again ... this is a classic case of what I drank in one country doesn't taste as good in another. This is a bottle of barrel aged Kerner I got while I was away in Germany, it's called "Experiment W" because it's the workers wine - which means the workers of this co-op had a hand in the making of it.  When we sipped it in Germany, were given the story behind it and were able to spit and just taste, this was a very interesting and enjoyable wine.  But put it into a big glass, get the air running through it and taste those tropical pineapple and vanilla notes which appear on sips 1 thru 5, but by sip 6 or 7 the alcohol, which is a whooping 15% really starts to kick in and the wine seems unbalanced and began to taste more like gin rather than having that pleasant "something other than Chardonnay that's been oaked" quality.  Oh well, I dragged this bottle back just to find out it wasn't for sipping on the deck on a hot Canadian late-spring afternoon, hopefully I'll have better luck with the other bottle I carried back, a barrel-aged Silvaner ... but it awaits to be seen because that bottle is for another time ... as it was we moved quickly from this bottle to an old Ontario wine from Inniskillin, which proved to be excellent ... if you are interested to find out which click here.

For more wine reviews and related articles go to www.ontariowinereview.com, while there sign up for Michael's free bi-weekly newsletter.

Dr. Loosen 2010 Riesling Kabinett, Blue Slate (Germany)

Seems like it has been awhile since I have written in this forum, but if you have been following my On the Road exploits you will know I was just in Italy tasting a whack of Amarone and Veneto wines ... hard to tell you what I am drinking in a night, when every night it's another 5 or so wines.  But tonight it was back to one bottle.  In Hamilton to see Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy as the last gift from my wife's Christmas presents - oh wait, I think there is one more coming up in June ... but that's neither here or there.  We decided to stay the night so we got a room at a Holiday Inn and made a romantic evening of it ... she loves Riesling so it only made sense to bring one along.  This is a real beauty by one of my favourite Mosel houses, and it was just released in Ontario earlier today.  The nose is full of that mineral quality you expect in a Riesling with lovely lemon and white fruits; there's even a zing to the nose that really lures you in for that first sip.  The palate is really something exciting as well, as the mineral comes roaring through along with sweet pear, apple and lemon notes ... there also seems to be a slight fizzante that grabs at the tongue - then again maybe it's a tingle from that mineral-acid combination ... great end to a really funny evening.

Check out OntarioWineReview.com for wine reviews and On the Road articles, plus much more about the Ontario wine scene.

New Year's Eve: German Riesling & Ontario Bubbles (Germany / Canada)

It was double Riesling night chez moi on New Year's eve ... first we started with a bottle of CH Berres 2007 Riesling Kabinett (Urziger Wurzgarten) and paired it with ordered in Chinese food.  Now before I get to the wine I want to take this moment to remind myself that ordering Chinese on New Year's eve is not a novel idea - no matter what you convince yourself of, in fact I think everybody and his dog had the same idea.  Our usual place took an hour-and-a-half to deliver, the food was almost stone cold and the usual fabulous quality almost seemed pedestrian (the soup even tasted like dishwater) ... so note to self, pick it up next year.  As for the Riesling, it was a delicious accompaniment and also by itself.  It started off with a hint of petrol on the first whiff, but soon that dissipated and we were left with lemon, dried apricot and lime cordial on the nose.  The palate started the same way but righted itself within 15 minutes: sweet citrus notes found their way to the back palate, baby powder nuances along with pear and lemon across the tongue - it had a dry start with a touch of sweetness on the finish ... lovely.

The second Riesling of the night happened to be of the sparkling variety as we opened a Maleta 2005 Old Vines Brut (Ontario) at the stroke of midnight.  This wine has aged very well with baked apple and lemon pith notes on the nose, while on the palate toasted brioche with a slight buttery taste across the tongue gave way to a long lemon and lime pith finish.  Happy New Year.

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com website ...catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more.

Josef Drathen NV Wiltinger Scharzberg Riesling Extra Dry Deutscher Sekt (Germany)

First let me say that if you pronounce the word for German sparkling wine wrong in the liquor store, you might get slapped, especially if you ask the wrong person.  German sparkling is called "Sekt" - but saying it wrong could wind you up in a lawsuit, in jail or worse ... but when acquired can make the world a happier place (I'm talking about the wine, although the other works too).  Anyway, enough preamble, let's get right down to it (which is how most men like it anyway).  This is a delicious German bubbly made from the Riesling grape and is full of Riesling smells and flavours and even has the minerality you expect to find in a good Riesling from the Mosel region.  The nose is apple, peach and even has a citrus-mineral note ... on the palate it is more refined down to the apple-mineral with a touch of sweetness.  The wine is fresh, lively and tasty and perfect for the kind of hot temps we've been having here in Southern Ontario.

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com website ...catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more.

JL Wolf 2006 Villa Wolf Rose ... (Germany)

Yikes ... here we are on a Thursday night looking for something to pair with a little fish dish and I come across something in the cellar that I suspect I might have held too long, but might be an interesting compliment:  JL Wolf 2006 Villa Wolf Pinot Noir Rose ... I remember liking this when I bought it and kept looking forward to a good summer occasion upon which to open it ... this seemed it. The capsule came off revealing a plastic cork and it went downhill from there.  The wine was oxidized and off tasting, I passed it to my wife, thinking maybe I am just being sensitive to the plastic closer and letting my predisposition get the better of me.  She was on the phone at the time of glass presentation, but paused in the midst of her conversation to take a sip, made "the face", passed it back and made a thumbs down gesture.  I guess it wasn't just me.  We settled on a Creekside 2009 Sauvignon Blanc from Ontario as alternative, and it is still a beauty of a wine.

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com website ...catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more.

Reh Kendermann 2008 Carl Reh Riesling Kabinett (Germany)

On the Victoria Day long-weekend we spent our time roaming from winery to winery in the Niagara-on-the-Lake region (Wine and Herb festival); so by the time we got home (after 12 wineries a day) there was no room left for more ... in fact next weekend we are going back to finish off the two we could not fit into our schedule ... but I digress.  On the holiday Monday we found ourselves in the garden sprucing up the outside of the house in-between some afternoon showers.  When it was all done, the flowers and veggies were planted, the grass was mowed, and the weeds plucked we sat down on the deck for 15-minutes to admire our handy-work and enjoy this wonderful bottle of thirst quenching Riesling in the late day sun.  With only 8.5% alcohol this baby went down too quick, what with all that wonderful peach and lime with just a hint of easy-going sweetness and nice balancing acidity to keep the sugar in check ... it truly was a hot weather gulpper wine and I believe we admired the flowers for 5 minutes and the wine the other 10, by then the bottle was done and it was time to head in for dinner. 

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com website ...catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more. 

Ayler Kupp 2005 Riesling Kabinett (Germany)

A beautiful 6 year old German Riesling with lots of complexity on both the nose and palate, and something tells me it will continue to develop nicely over the next 5 years or more.  Currently, the nose is apricot and peach with some honeyed notes and the merest hint of petrol.  The palate showed great balance between the sweetness and the acidity: mac and green apple with peach pit and mineral notes, a nice bit of pear on the long finish.  As for the petrol, it does not seem to be there on the palate but I think it will show in the next few years.  Right now this one is still complex and tasty.

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com website ... catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more.

Paul Anheuser 2008 Schlossbockelheimer Konigsfels Riesling Kabinett (Germany)

I'm not going to dwell on the length of the name on this wine, nor will I be speaking a long time here about the flavours and smells of this wine.  What I want to say is that it is hard to argue about the German's choice of grape variety they hung their hat on, when they can do it so well.  This was a well made, very tasty, very minerally Riesling, that hit all the high points of what the grape offers with none of the low points.  And with only 8% alcohol you could drink this all day and all night with little in the way of side-effects.  And now with the use of screwcaps these wines are even more fresh and fantastic.  Great with Chinese food too - which is what I had for dinner.

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com website ... catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more.

6 Bottles, Mixed Results (Germany / New York / Spain / France)

Friends came over for a dinner of Pulled Pork with all the fixins (coleslaw, buns, potatoes, etc.) ... minus Zinfandel, which would have made an awesome pairing.  Instead I picked out a big Spanish red called Cellar Acustic 2008 Acustic, a blend of Grenache and Samso (Carignan) that was full of fruit and spice ... which made for a perfect pairing.  But before we got onto that we started with a bottle of German Sekt (be careful how you ask for this kind of wine, you could get slapped) ... a Riesling Sekt by Fitz was a great starter because it was fresh and fruity with great Riesling qualities to it, and bubbles; what could be wrong with that?  Next up, a bottle of Freedom Run 2007 Pinot Noir from New York ... this was a hit and miss bottle for me, the nose was inviting while the palate left something to be desired.  This was the bottle brought over by friends and they said they thought it good but better from barrel, which is where they tasted it for the very first time.  Light on fruit but passable.  The Acustic was a hit and then we moved onto a former favourite of mine: Sauvion 2008 Les Bosquets Vouvray ... this one has a plastic cork, which shows a total lack of respect for the consumer from the winery, if you make a fantastic wine like this and then seal it in plastic you might as well be serving it in a paper Dixie cup.  This wine could have aged and been great but now I have to drink my bottles quickly and hear comments like, "this has a funny after-taste of cheese and a lack of acidity."  Amazing what 6 months can do to a wine sealed under plastic, this used to be a fresh, fruity wine with balanced acidity and a hint of sweetness, now look at it, a shadow of its former self.  For dessert a bottle of PX Sherry from Alvear (1927 solera) - to die for is all I can say about this one.  Finally, sitting in the living room the masses cried out for one more, and I obliged them with the always popular 2005 Bodegas Castano Hecula, good fruit, pepper, spice and still going strong 5 years from vintage date.  Perfect end to a delightful evening.

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com website ... catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more.

Darting 2006 Riesling Spatlese Ungsteiner Herrenberg (Germany)

A little spicy Mexican.  A little Riesling.  This seemed like a nice combination on this cold winter evening ... and by bringing Mexico here there was no risk of getting shot, drinking bad water or having our hotel explode (though a little methane in never out of the question).  Add in a little sweetness and you have the cooling sensation of Riesling paired with a nice spicy dish.  Not a bad combination indeed.  This Riesling proved to be good before, during and especially after dinner - and with that wind howling outside it added a bit a warmth to the room and to our insides.  The nose sang with sweet honeyed peach, a touch of floral, some kiwi and a hint of petrol.  The palate was simple but delicious, offering us a taste of honey dipped apples with a long cheek-sucking finish.  Good acidity kept this from being cloyingly sweet; so as Goldilocks would say, "it's just right."

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com website ... catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more.