Canadian Sommelier, On-Air (TV, radio) Wine & Spirits Somm, Valpolicella Wine Specialist
First impressions of this single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from @hiddenbench … wow! Béton (as in concrete vessel fermented and aged) and sourced from the Rosomel Vineyard on Ontario’s Beamsville Bench. Expressive, lovely lemon grass, pear, lemon meringue, floral, flinty minerality, and superbly balanced. Certified organic, and absolutely delicious! Bravo @hiddenbench ! Tasted August 2023. 93 points. Matt Steeves - http://www.quercusvino.ca
Stratus White 2021 combines elegance and intensity in every sip. Whether enjoyed on its own or paired with a delectable culinary creation, it’s sure to leave a lasting impression, exactly why I recommend buying by the case. Although it’s showing beautifully now, expect further evolution and complexity gains over the next decade. Tasted July 2023, 94+ points. Matt Steeves - http://www.quercusvino.ca
Ottawa, ON Matt's review: Light gold colour, the nose is clean and fresh with orchard fruit, nectarine, lemon meringue, a touch of pineapple, floral, and wet stone. Medium body, the palate is very fresh and elegant. Orchard fruit, lees, subtle nuttiness, and minerality on the finish. Impressive expression of Four Mile Creek Chardonnay from this... Continue Reading →
Leaning Post's 2020 Chardonnay from their Senchuk Vineyard is an expressive wine with great intensity, body, and texture.
Planted with Dijon clones from Burgundy, in one of Niagara’s premiere ‘Grand Cru’ quality vineyards, on the Jordan Bench, 2020 vintage marks the fourth since the revival of LCJ in 2019 with the 2017 vintage crafted by Thomas Bachelder. Consistently one of the top quality Pinots in Ontario, the 2020 shows expressive field berries, savoury cherry, dark chocolate, herbs, flint, and wood spice on the nose. Medium bodied, the palate shows refreshing cherry, delicate spices, and great texture with impressive flinty minerality on the long finish. Le Grand Clos wines are well suited to enjoy youthful, and will evolve beautifully over a decade, perhaps longer. Tasted April 2023. 93 points. Matt Steeves - http://www.quercusvino.ca
Today on CTV Morning Live, Sommelier Matt Steeves showed some of his Sommelier-recommended wine picks that make excellent last minute gifts this holiday season.
Each vintage 13th Street's winemaker assembles a unique blend of their popular 'Cabernet Merlot' to showcase how great this value-priced red blend can be. 2020 is a blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, all from Niagara's Creek Shores VQA . Deep ruby in colour, the nose shows dark cherry, plum, pepper, and sous bois. It's rich with fine soft tannins making it great to enjoy now with wood fired pizzas, pasta, or charcuterie.
Ottawa, ON October 2022 Matt’s review: 13th Street Winery's June's Vineyard Riesling, made from Alsatian old Clone 49 Riesling, shows a delicate yet complex bouquet of sweet orchard fruit, floral blossom, wild flower honey, petrol, and limestone minerality. The palate is crisp and linear with a very slight sweetness on the mid palate. The finish... Continue Reading →
Featherstone's Red Tail Merlot pays homage to the winery's use of eco-friendly falconry to protect their (sweet and delicious) crop from swarms of vineyard devouring birds. As a key feature of their sustainable practices, Featherstone Estate Winery happens to be the only Ontario winery to embrace this natural crop management technique as part of their overall vineyard management.
Ottawa, ON July 2022 Matt's review: Inniskillin's Montague Vineyard Chardonnay showcases the best from their finest single vineyard site in the Four Mile Creek sub-appellation of the Niagara Peninsula. Golden yellow, this expressive Chardonnay shows ripe orchard fruit, melon, toast and lanolin on the nose. Full bodied and very creamy, look for baked apple and... Continue Reading →
