Tag: Quercus Vino

Amarone 2021: Valpolicella’s Living Culture and the Standout Wines of the Vintage

The 2021 vintage does not present a single, uniform style. There are traditional and firmly tannic expressions, fragrant wines filled with regional herbs and red fruit, and darker examples built around dried dark fruits, graphite and balsamic complexity. The best share a more important quality: proportion. Fruit concentration is matched by freshness. Alcohol is present but rarely becomes the wine’s sole defining feature. Appassimento adds depth without consistently pushing the wines into heaviness. Even among the most powerful examples, the more successful producers have preserved movement, aromatic clarity and a sense that the wines will continue to evolve rather than merely soften. Seen through the six symbols of the masterclass, 2021 becomes more than another Amarone release. It demonstrates how vineyard architecture, grape selection, drying conditions, fermentation, maturation and inherited cultural knowledge all contribute to the finished wine. Valpolicella is no longer most accurately explained through simple oppositions: power versus elegance, tradition versus modernity, or technique versus terroir. Its identity lies in the relationships between its wines and in the decisions, rituals and accumulated wisdom connecting them. The 2021 Amarone vintage shows that concentration and elegance need not be opposites. When every stage is handled with precision and restraint, each can make the other more compelling. Full details at http://www.quercusvino.ca #Amarone #Anteprima #Valpolicella #Italy #Sommelier #Wine #TopRated #MustTry #WineAficionado #Verona #AmaronePreview #Cellarworthy #Backupthetruck #Winetime #2021Amarone #Corvina #LakeGarda #OperaPrima #Anteprima #WineCollecting #Cellaring #Consorzio

Featherstone Blanc de Noirs 2023, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Ontario

Matt's review: An impressive and beautifully elegant Blanc de Noirs, sourced from the Twenty Mile Bench, where some of Niagara's finest Pinot Noir is grown. Showing a delicate, faint pink hue, the nose is wonderfully fresh and refined, with tart strawberry, peach and orchard fruit, accented by a subtle floral lift. The palate is vibrant and precise, revealing tart cherry and strawberry alongside distinctive wet-stone minerality, with 24 months on lees contributing a refined texture and fine, persistent mousse. Bright acidity keeps everything wonderfully refreshing, while a subtle tannic grip lends structure and carries the wine through a long, crisp, mineral-driven finish. Elegant, energetic and distinctly Niagara, this represents excellent value at $34.95. Tasted August 2026. 93 points - Matt Steeves - http://www.quercusvino.ca

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Featherstone Stone & Vine 2023, VQA Ontario

Matt's review: A beautifully composed and wonderfully fresh Bordeaux-inspired blend (33% Merlot | 33% Cabernet Franc | 33% Cabernet Sauvignon), the 2023 Stone & Vine opens with enticing aromas of ripe black cherry, plum and dark berries, layered with deliciously fragrant spice, savoury herbs and graphite. Peppery Cabernet Franc nuances mingle with subtle oak spice, adding complexity without overwhelming the fruit. The palate is vibrant and poised, showing excellent freshness and energy alongside fine-grained tannins and a supple, polished texture. Savoury herbal and graphite notes carry through the persistent finish, giving this equal-parts blend impressive definition and character. Enjoy over the next 5+ years. Tasted August 2026. 93 points - Matt Steeves - http://www.quercusvino.ca

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Etna: Sicily’s Paradox of Fire and Freshness

High on the slopes of Mount Etna, Mediterranean sunshine, mountain elevation, ancient vines and successive layers of volcanic lava converge to produce some of Italy’s most distinctive wines. Exploring Etna during Sicilia en Primeur, I discovered the remarkable diversity of Nerello Mascalese and Carricante, the increasingly precise expression of individual contrade, and an appellation whose quality now extends far beyond a handful of celebrated producers. Etna’s wines may be born from fire, but they are defined by freshness, elegance and an extraordinary sense of place.

wine review: Kirby Estate Single Vineyard Merlot 2022 – Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA

Kirby Estate continues to demonstrate why the western reaches of Niagara-on-the-Lake, bordering the Four Mile Creek sub-appellation, are capable of producing some of Canada's most compelling Merlot. Here, warm days, moderating lake influences, and mineral-rich lacustrine silt and sandy loam soils consistently deliver full phenolic ripeness while preserving the vibrant acidity that gives Niagara's finest wines their unmistakable freshness. It is a terroir uniquely suited to crafting both expressive, age-worthy red wines and elegant, mineral-driven Chardonnay. The 2022 Estate Merlot reflects the remarkable concentration of this exceptionally low-yielding vintage. Aromas of graphite, crushed raspberry and a medley of dark berries mingle with hints of menthol, sweet baking spice and wet stone minerality. The palate is fresh, energetic and beautifully composed, balancing ripe dark fruit with lively acidity and finely integrated tannins. Nineteen months in a combination of new and neutral Burgundian oak provides subtle complexity without overshadowing the purity of the fruit. The finish is long, refreshing and distinctly mineral, leaving an impression of elegance rather than weight. While the monumental 2020 Signature Merlot showcased just how profound Niagara Merlot can become in an exceptional vintage, the 2022 Estate Merlot offers a more restrained and classically proportioned expression, emphasizing precision, freshness and site transparency. It is another outstanding example of the remarkable quality emerging from Kirby Estate. Tasted July 2026.  95 points. Matt Steeves – http://www.quercusvino.ca

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wine review: Kirby Estate Chardonnay 2022 – Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA

Kirby Estate Chardonnay 2022 While Niagara-on-the-Lake has earned its reputation for producing expressive, ripe red wines, it shines just as brightly with medium to full-bodied cool-climate Chardonnay. At Kirby Estate, the combination of mineral-rich lacustrine silt soils, warm days, cool nights and the moderating influence of Lake Ontario consistently yields fruit that achieves exceptional phenolic ripeness while retaining the vibrant natural acidity that defines the region's finest white wines. The exceptionally low-yielding 2022 vintage has produced a Chardonnay of remarkable concentration, elegance and precision. Aromas of ripe yellow apple, pear and white orchard fruit are layered with delicate baking spice, subtle hints of toasted brioche and pronounced seashell minerality. The palate is silky and beautifully textured, the result of full malolactic fermentation and twenty months in second-fill Damy Vosges Burgundian oak, yet remains vibrant and energetic. Ripe orchard fruit, citrus and crushed stone unfold across the palate before giving way to a long, mineral-driven finish that lingers with freshness and finesse. The restrained élevage allows the exceptional fruit and distinctive terroir to take centre stage, resulting in a Chardonnay that recalls the balance and understated elegance of fine white Burgundy while remaining unmistakably Niagara. Another beautifully composed wine from Kirby Estate that reinforces the estate's growing reputation as one of Niagara's premier ultra-premium producers. Drink: 2026-2036+. Tasted July 2026. 94 Points Matt Steeves - http://www.quercusvino.ca

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wine review: 2024 Sempre Mio Chardonnay, Lincoln Lakeshore VQA, Ontario 13% ABV

2024 Sempre Mio Chardonnay recalls the elegance of fine white Burgundy, opening with yellow apple, white peach and delicate white blossoms before revealing hints of almond croissant, wet limestone and seashell minerality. The palate is both creamy and precise, balancing ripe orchard and stone fruit with vibrant acidity, subtle spice, and a long, textured mineral finish. The restrained oak frame allows the character of the Mio Vineyard to take centre stage, resulting in a Chardonnay of impressive purity, texture, and finesse. This is a wonderful expression of single vineyard Chardonnay from Niagara's Lincoln Lakeshore VQA which should be on your must try list! Tasted July 2026. 93+ points. Matt Steeves - http://www.quercusvino.ca

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World-Class Canadian Wines for Canada Day – As aired on CTV and CFRA – June 19, 2026

Today on CTV Your Morning (and later on CFRA News Talk 580), Sommelier Matt Steeves was presenting some of his top-rated Canadian wines from across the country with special focus on regions such as Prince Edward County, Niagara, and British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, where wineries are producing wines with freshness, balance, elegance, complexity, and a true sense of place. These are the qualities that define many of the world’s greatest wines, and they are increasingly the qualities wine enthusiasts associate with Canadian wine. These wines highlight why Canada is now recognized as one of the most exciting cool-climate wine-producing countries in the world. The story of Canadian wine in 2026 is no longer about potential. It is about achievement. Ontario and British Columbia have become Canada’s superpowers for world-class wine, but the broader message extends across the country. Canadian wineries are producing wines that are refreshing, balanced, complex, food-friendly, age-worthy, and increasingly sought after by wine enthusiasts across Canada and around the world. From traditional method sparkling wine and elegant Chardonnay to expressive Pinot Noir, distinctive whites, and powerful red blends, Canadian wine has never been better. This Canada Day, support local. Drink Canadian. Explore the wines being produced in our own backyard. And discover why the world is paying more attention to what Canada is putting in the glass.

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