Category: Holiday Wine

wine review: 2022 Livon Malvasia Collio DOC “Soluna”

Livon Malvasia Collio DOC 'Soluna' - Sourced from the esteemed Ruttars Cru in the northwestern reaches of Collio, in Dolegna del Collio, Livon’s Malvasia “Soluna” is a strikingly expressive and terroir-driven white that captures the wild elegance of its origin. On the nose, Soluna unfurls with a smoky allure—fumé, wood smoke, and flint—layered over ripe stone fruit, apricot, apple, and wild herbs. This savory aromatic complexity offers a deeply evocative first impression. The palate is no less compelling: vibrant orchard fruits—pear, apple—give way to honeyed stone fruit richness, balanced by a firm streak of saline minerality. The finish is long, textured, and mouthwatering, echoing the wine's smoky and mineral undertones with a persistent, salty lift. A refined and characterful expression of Malvasia, Soluna is drinking beautifully now but has the structure and depth to evolve over the coming years. Tasted February 2025. 93+ points. Matt Steeves - http://www.quercusvino.ca

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wine review: 2022 Paraschos Sauvignon Riserva JZB Vineyard Collio DOC, Italy

Paraschos, from San Floriano del Collio, in the far north east of Collio, has grown a reputation for producing expressive, bold, skin-fermented wines that don't hold anything back. Their direct press wines are exceptional too, such as the Paraschos 2022 Sauvignon Riserva. Sourced from a new Cru vineyard in their portfolio near Gradis’ciutta, named JZB for Jazbine that means Giasbana, the small part of the village of San Floriano del Collio where the vineyard is located. They waited for the grapes to achieve perfect maturation at harvest, then their low intervention winemaking took over...allowing spontaneous fermentation on wild yeasts (no commercial yeast in their winery), with two years of aging in large Slovenian oak barrels (10-25hl) on fine lees. Bottled without filtration resulting in a super expressive wine, showing ripe fruits, stone fruits, exotic fruits, citrus zest, herbs, and a touch of chamomile tea. This expression of Sauvignon is pure terroir and highlights the ability they have to make world-class wines across their portfolio. This is an intriguing wine that I plan to follow as it evolves over the next decade and as winemaker Jannis Paraschos fine-tunes working with this impressive new Cru vineyard in their portfolio. Tasted February 2025. 95+ points. Matt Steeves - http://www.quercusvino.ca

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Raising your elbows and a glass of delicious Canadian wine this Spring – Being patriotic never tasted so good! As aired on CTV – March 31, 2025

Today on CTV, CTVs Stefan Keys, Melissa Lamb, and Sommelier Matt Steeves were tasting an all-Ontario line-up of local wines and spirits which are delicious, crafted right here in Ontario, and are easily accessible winery-direct or at LCBO. With everything going on these days, having some delicious local Canadian wines and spirits is the perfect way to show your national pride and stay refreshed this spring. 

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Raising your elbows and a glass of delicious Canadian wine this Spring – Being patriotic never tasted so good! As aired on CFRA News Talk Radio – March 28, 2025

Today on CFRA, CFRAs Patricia Boal and Sommelier Matt Steeves were tasting an all-Ontario line-up of local wines and spirits which are delicious, crafted right here in Ontario, and are easily accessible winery-direct or at LCBO. With everything going on these days, having some delicious local Canadian wines and spirits is the perfect way to show your national pride and stay refreshed this spring. 

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wine review: Checkmate 2021 Little Pawn Chardonnay 

Ottawa, ON December 2024 Matt’s review: Checkmate 2021 Little Pawn Chardonnay  With each vintage CheckMate further demonstrates their exceptional winemaking artistry highlighting the great potential of the impressive vineyards they work with to craft their world-class wines.  While 2021 brought unprecedented challenges during the growing season, the team at CheckMate delivered the consistent high-quality standard... Continue Reading →

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wine review: St. Hugo Chardonnay 2023 – Eden Valley, Australia – now at LCBO

St. Hugo Chardonnay stands as a great example of Eden Valley’s cool-climate elegance. From the first encounter, the nose is alive with zesty citrus, delicate stone fruit, and a blend of fresh herbs, melon, and a whisper of pineapple. These aromas are beautifully restrained, leaning towards crisp citrus rather than the heavy tropical fruit notes found in warmer climates. An exceptional expression of Eden Valley, this wine is already impressive, yet it holds the potential to age gracefully over the next decade.

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